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Hydro One fully prepared for planned Society strike - customers to see no impact

TORONTO, May 19 /CNW/ - Hydro One has learned that the Society of Energy
Professionals plans to begin a potential week-long strike involving all of
their more than 1,000 members as early as Friday, May 20. Customers can be
assured that Hydro One has enacted its contingency operations plan to ensure
the safe and reliable operation of Ontario's electricity system. The plan is
designed to be in place for an extended strike of up to six months.
"Management staff, specifically trained to perform Society functions, are
currently in place at key positions to ensure that all of Hydro One's systems
remain fully operational," said Rick Kellestine, Hydro One Vice President in
charge of contingency planning. "Our plan is robust and fully-tested to handle
an extended strike. We are confident our customers will see little or no
impact as a result of the strike by the Society."
Hydro One has been attempting to reach a two-party settlement with the
Society of Energy Professionals since January 2005. On April 25, 95 per cent
of Society members overwhelmingly rejected a generous three-year offer that
gave them job security, a 9.27 per cent salary increase and an improved
benefit package. Hydro One initiated a return to the negotiating table but
this proved fruitless as the Society continued to maintain an aggressive
"not now, not ever" response to the company's request for concessions. Hydro
One Society-represented employees are already among the highest paid in the
industry - in 2004 the top Society earner took home $182,000 in total
compensation.
"Hydro One's objective throughout contract negotiations has been to
address future wage, pension and benefit costs that inevitably increase rate
pressure for our customers," added Peter Gregg, Vice President of Corporate
Communications.

Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's 28,400 kilometre high-voltage
transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers
and municipal utilities, and a 122,000 kilometre low-voltage distribution
system that serves about 1.2 million end-use customers and smaller municipal
utilities in the province.
Media updates will be provided on a regular basis throughout the strike.

For further information: Peter Gregg, Vice President, Corporate
Communications, (416) 345-6072