National Elevator Escalator Association (NEEA) begins notifying workers of June 17, 2013 return to work for residential buildings in GTA, Simcoe County

During the strike, elevators and escalators in Ontario continue to be safe and maintained by highly-skilled and well-trained workers

TORONTO, June 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Today the National Elevator Escalator Association (NEEA) has begun notifying striking elevator workers that they will be recalled to work, effective June 17, 2013. This will only include employees servicing elevating devices in new and existing residential buildings.  NEEA urges these workers to respect the law and return to work in order to put an end to the inconvenience many Ontarians have experienced.

Ontario's Labour Relations Act requires that any strikes affecting construction of new residential buildings and repairs at existing residential buildings must end on June 15, 2013, for the City of Toronto, the Regions of Halton, Peel, York, Durham and the County of Simcoe.  Workers who have been on strike must return on June 17 to perform this residential work.

As well, NEEA is pleased to return to mediation with the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) today.  NEEA has proposed a significant wage increase and remains hopeful that a collective agreement can be reached and will continue to work towards that end.

Ontarians should rest assured that elevating devices continue to be safe. Claims otherwise made by some union leaders are untrue.  To help protect the most vulnerable Ontarians, we have assigned top priority for repairs to elevators and escalators in hospitals and nursing homes.  Buildings with only one elevator are also being prioritized.  The Technical Standards Safety Authority (TSSA), the Ontario government agency tasked with safety inspections of elevating devices, also continues to diligently conduct its work and is unaffected by this strike.

Workers have been on strike since May 1, 2013 when, despite NEEA's best efforts to achieve a negotiated collective agreement with IUEC, the union broke off negotiations which forced its members out on strike.

Since that time, NEEA member companies have been deploying highly-skilled and well-trained workers to keep the vast majority of Ontario's elevating devices working in good order.  Despite the strike, today more than 95% of all of the elevators and escalators in Ontario maintained by KONE, Otis, Schindler and ThyssenKrupp Elevator continue to be fully operational.

About National Elevator Escalator Association (NEEA)

NEEA is made up of member companies by KONE, Otis, Schindler and ThyssenKrupp Elevator.  Ontario's Labour Relations Act designates the National Elevator Escalator Association (NEEA) as an employer bargaining agency.  In this role, NEEA collectively bargains with IUEC for all employers performing Industrial-Commercial-Institutional (ICI) construction in Ontario.

SOURCE: National Elevator Escalator Association (NEEA)

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