June 9, 2021

TORONTO—Until Reliance makes a fair offer in contract negotiations and ends the lockout of more than 800 workers across Ontario, Unifor encourages customers to take their business elsewhere.

“This greedy employer could end this lockout tomorrow with a fair offer to junior staff,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Ontario’s Reliance customers should go elsewhere for their HVAC needs until the lockout is over.”

Reliance Home Comfort caused the impasse by refusing to reduce the gap between compensation of junior and senior employees. With the skyrocketing cost of living in most regions, Unifor Local 1999 members have made it a priority to ensure the younger staff have decent wages and benefits to support their families.

To support the Ontario-based boycott campaign, Unifor has launched dontcallreliance.com. The site is a resource for the public to learn more about the company’s tactics and has information for Local 1999 supporters to contact senior Reliance management.

“Ontario HVAC customers have options. We prefer they use unionized providers, but Reliance needs to feel financial pressure to get them to the table,” said Naureen Rizvi, Ontario Regional Director. “Our tactics will continue to escalate until we see a fair offer from Reliance.”

Unifor Local 1999 represents HVAC service technicians, installers, water heater installers, plumbers, electricians and administration staff at 13 locations across Ontario.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.