Saint John radio workers' strike ended after 22 months

Seven Saint John radio workers are no longer on strike Monday after walking the picket line for 22 months.

Their union, the Canadian Media Guild, ended the Maritime Broadcasting System employees' strike Monday.

The employees for CFCB, K-100 and Big John FM walked off the job in June 2012, seeking higher wages and paid overtime.

The CMG says Halifax-based MBS has now locked out those workers and won't let them return to work without a collective agreement.

"When you've got an employer that hasthe kind of deep pockets like MBS radio has, the strike becomes sort of a moot point," said Gary Stackhouse, one of the locked-out workers and also CMG's president of private radio.

"So we decided, being that we're going to the labour board in a few weeks, we would end the strike and go forward and get a collective agreement in another way."

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is meeting with both sides this Friday to try to bring about a settlement.

The CMG also represents CBC News, The Canadian Press and APTN employees.