Western facilities workers ratify new agreement, bringing end to six-week strike

A six-week strike by facilities employees at Western University effectively came to an end on Friday after members of CUPE Local 2361 ratifieda tentative deal reached with the university earlier in the week.

In a statement on Friday, Western confirmed that CUPE members had voted to ratify the tentative agreement, and that the union had signalled it would no longer picket at campus entrances.

All campus roads closed because of the strike were reopened by Friday afternoon, the statement said.London Transit buses have also returned to their normal routes.

"Today, members of CUPE Local 2361 voted in favour of a new collective agreement - an important step toward addressing the staffing crisis at the University of Western Ontario," CUPE officials said in a post on X,formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.

CBC News reached out to local union officials on Sunday, but did not receive responses before publication. Employees are expected to be back to work on Oct. 17.

The new contractwas reached on Wednesday after two days at the bargaining table, CUPE Local 2361's president, Steve Pepper, said in a statement that night.

The particulars of the deal have not been released, but Pepper's statement said itmade "progress on key priorities."

The deal still needs to be approved by the university's board of governorsand will be brought forward for a ratification vote this week, a university spokesperson said in a statement.

Roughly 330 workersresponsible for taking care of the grounds and buildingswalked off the job on Aug. 30, calling on the university to offer wage parity with other unionized workers doing similar jobs.

The local's members include building caretakers, gardeners, arena operators and other tradespeople.

Soon afterwards, the university brought in replacement workers, called "scabs" by those in the labour movement, and closed vehicular access to several roads across campus with the use of a hired private security firm.

While other provinces, including British Columbia and Quebec, have so-called anti-scab legislation, Ontario hasn't had it since1996.

Western President Alan Shepard told CBC London that the replacement workers were necessary to keep the campus running smoothly and safely.

The labour disruption lead to traffic headaches for commuters on roads surroundingthe university campus.

Last month, a picketer was struck by a car along Western Roadand was taken to hospital.