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Note: Enbridge Gas cutting evening and night emergency shift in Toronto

Summary#

  • Enbridge is seeking to eliminate the evening (4pm to 8pm) and night (8pm until morning) shift.

  • The post-4pm shift is almost entirely a emergency response shift. Four workers for the evening and two positions overnight.

  • Unifor members at Enbridge are the only ones trained in emergency response to most gas leaks.

  • Accidents and leaks occur overnight and require emergency services calls. Current process means quick response from gas workers.

  • Contracting will increase the time to respond to leaks. Increased time that emergency services have to be on site securing the location and increasing risk of serious incident to the public.

Unifor is concerned about public safety and costs for the city.

Questions/Requests#

  1. Are there contracts between The City and Enbridge Gas over requirements for maintaining the safety of their gas lines?
  2. Is The City aware of the contracting-out and its impacts on emergency response to gas leaks?
  3. Could the Mayor's office lend support Unifor's ask that evening and overnight emergency gas position not be cut?

Background#

  • Enbridge is a provincially regulated utility that operates the natural gas lines throughout Toronto.

  • Enbridge is unionized with several Unifor locals across Toronto and the GTA.

  • Unifor members at Enbridge are the only ones trained in emergency response to most gas leaks.

  • Accidents and leaks occur overnight and require emergency services calls. Current process means quick response from gas workers (within one hour).

  • Contracting will increase the time to respond to emergency leaks. Increased time that emergency services have to be on site securing the location and increasing risk of serious incident to the public.

  • Cutting shifts will result in contractor being called, then manager being called, then calls through Enbridge on call list, then transit time.

  • The increased time to respond is because workers who are "on call" do not live near downtown Toronto and time is extensive to find an on call worker and then have them transit downtown.

  • Unifor members at Enbridge have been facing contracting-out of their jobs for years. Namely Lakeside and Excavac (now OE Utility Services).

  • Unifor has a campaign that is focused on the natural gas industry. The campaign targets:

  • contracting-out work and becoming a "Virtual Utility"

  • methane leaks as climate and safety issue

  • Recent activities include opposition to Bill 165 and attempting to get regulations adopted for the Ontario Energy Board to monitor contracting and (lack of) methane leak mitigation investments.

  • Unifor members have spoken-out publicly on the need for Enbridge to be regulated effectively on gas leaks and public safety through ending contracting-out.

  • Provincial Hansard with NDP Peter Tabuns speaking to Unifor's position on Bill 165.

  • Reducing methane leaks should create good jobs