Technical Standards and Safety Authority inspectors still without a contract

It has been nearly three weeks since talks on a first contract between the Technical Standards and Safety Authority and its union broke off.

Wednesday union reps and local workers in the Sault took to the picket line.

Roughly a dozen union members and supporters picketed in front of MPP Ross Romano's office in hopes of mustering some political pressure to restart negotiations with the company.

Among 170 province-wide, there are just two local TSSA workers, with a third outside of the city.

Mark Bernard is one of those local inspectors and he has grown frustrated by the lack of headway on a deal leading up to discussions ending on July 21.

"We unionize approximately a year and a half ago; our yes vote came in February of 2021. So we've been sitting here since, waiting for something, a deal of some sort. The employer has waited and procrastinated for now a year and a half," Bernard said.

Even before talks broke down in late July, the two sides were still a ways apart on a number of key issues, says Tara Maszczakiewicz, the regional vice president of OPSEU.

"One of the big sticking points is around the number of inspectors we have in the province. We need more and we also need more regularly scheduled inspections to make sure the people of Ontario are safe... so that's a big piece. There's also an issue with the wage grid."

Maszczakiewicz also claims there is a pay discrepancy for female workers that needs to be addressed.

TSSA officials say they are still waiting to hear back on their final offer from July 21.

There will be more picket lines throughout the week in other northern Ontario cities.