Strike hits Burlington Hydro

Burlington Hydro Inc. (BHI) trade workers are on strike.

According to a BHI news release, the strike came into effect yesterday at 2 p.m. as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 636, rejected the hydro company's latest offer.

Negotiations had been going on since February, as the union and management sought resolution on a new three-year agreement for trade staff given the current contract expired April 1, stated the release.

BHI said it "will continue to deliver all essential services as it strives to minimize the impact of a strike... The utility has taken immediate steps in the interest of service continuity, to avoid outages and to minimize inconvenience to customers."

The utility is placing emphasis on delivering all essential services. Qualified management personnel are filling in during the strike, said BHI.