Natural gas workers at Manitoba Hydro set to strike on Friday

A year after ending one labour dispute, Manitoba Hydro finds itself embroiled in another.

Unifor Local 681, which represents more than 330 natural gas workers and meter readers at the utility, says it will begin strike action on Friday morning.

The union says 230 natural gas workers have been without a collective agreement since December 2020.

Manitoba Hydro says it has a contingency plan in place to respond to natural gas emergencies during the strike, although some non-emergency services will be delayed.

Customers seeking more information on how their services will be affected are advised to visit the Crown corporation's website.

The strike comes barely a year after 2,300 workers with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ended nearly two months of rotating strikes. The two sides in that dispute reached an impasse which was eventually settled with the Manitoba Labour Board deciding on the terms of a new contract.

In a media release Thursday, Unifor said strike action will begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday, followed by a 3 p.m. rally at Manitoba Hydro Place on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg.

The release says more details about the nature of the strike action will be revealed at the rally.