Ontario’s ICI sector carpenters could be back to work next week.

The Carpenters District Council of Ontario (CDCO) announced on May 25 that it had reached a tentative agreement with its various employer bargaining agencies.

The union, which represents 15,000 non-residential carpenters, has been on strike since May 9 after the membership overwhelmingly rejected a tentative agreement at the time.

Ratification votes for this latest tentative agreement will take place across the province on May 27. A final tally is expected that day. To be ratified, the agreement requires is what is known as a “double majority” which is a majority of locals, and a majority of members voting to accept.

“We worked diligently with our respective employer groups and have fashioned an agreement that reflects the current economic affordability crisis and one which we believe the members in Ontario will accept and ratify,” said CDCO president Mike Yorke. “Construction is too important an economic driver in this province for us to be too long on strike and without an agreement.”

Meanwhile, members of the Labourers International Union of North America working as labourers in ICI and as demolition workers have reached tentative agreements with their respective employer partners.

Both worker groups are expected to announce the results of their ratification votes on May 30

Ontario’s ICI sector collective agreements expired April 30.