More than 9,000 Canadian rail workers have a mandate opening the door to a possible strike or lockout on May 22, affecting both of the country’s major railways — Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).
Train conductors, engineers, yard workers and rail traffic controllers under Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate Wednesday as negotiations reached an impasse over rest periods.
“The simultaneous work stoppage at both CN and CPKC would disrupt supply chains on a scale Canada has likely never experienced. This has not been and never will be the Teamster strategy, though we can’t be sure the same is true for the companies,” TCRC President Paul Boucher said at an Ottawa press conference Wednesday.
Meanwhile, CN says that the union will not agree to a “more modern agreement” based on an hourly schedule. The company says this is to help “protect the Canadian supply chain, North American economy” and give workers a fair deal.
CPKC said the parties remain far apart and their proposals for rest do not compromise safety and comply with Canadian regulations。
