Teamsters union serves Canadian National Railway with strike notice

Update:

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference issued a 72-hour strike notice to Canadian National Railway on Friday as talks continued to try and avert a rail strike in Canada. The notice came as a surprise following the government's decision to intervene in the labor dispute. The labor union said that meetings with the CIRB continue, but the board has yet to make a ruling that would force binding arbitration or end any work stoppage. Therefore, to protect worker's right, it was issuing the strike notice. 

“By sidestepping the collective bargaining process and ordering binding arbitration, the federal government has undermined the foundation on which labour unions work to improve wages and working conditions for all Canadians. Bargaining is also the primary way our union fights for rail safety—all considerations that outweigh short-term economic concerns,” said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.

Original story

Canada’s federal government has intervened to end a labor dispute that halted operations at two of the nation's largest railways, Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). The lockout, which affected nearly 10,000 Teamster Canada workers and brought freight traffic to a standstill, threatened to disrupt supply chains across North America. The government, recognizing the potential economic impact, ordered both sides to final binding arbitration and extended the current labor contracts until a new agreement is reached.

Labour Minister Steve McKinnon discussed the important role of Canada’s railways in the economy, noting that 75% of the country’s exports, including commodities like grains, coal, and potash, are transported by rail to the U.S. The swift action ensures that rail operations will resume within days, mitigating further disruption. Keith Creel, chief executive of CPKC, said in a statement the government had acted “to protect Canada's national interest.”

“We regret that the government had to intervene because we fundamentally believe in and respect collective bargaining; however, given the stakes for all involved, this situation required action,” he added.

Teamsters Canada, representing the locked-out workers, highlighted safety concerns as a key issue in the negotiations. The union stressed the importance of proper rest for rail workers to ensure safe operations. The federal government's decisive action aims to restore industrial peace in this vital sector and keep goods moving across North America.

This article originally appeared on SCMR’s sister site SupplyChain 247. Read it here.

SC
MR