The union that represents more than 9,000 workers at Canada’s two largest rail companies says public safety is at stake as collective negotiations are currently stalled and a potential strike looms.
According to Teamsters Canada National President François Laporte, Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) are considering eliminating key rest provisions from employment contracts, which could increase crew fatigue and put endangering public safety.
“We want to avoid a labor dispute, but the safety of our members and the public is non-negotiable,” he said in a statement.
As a result, a “work stoppage is looming,” the union said.
On Friday, CN and CPKC asked the federal Minister of Labor to appoint a conciliator as part of negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements for conductors, engineers and yard workers.
The notice of dispute launches the legal process towards a possible strike or lockout, which could occur as early as 81 days after the appointment of federal conciliators, i.e. at the beginning of May.
CN says recent regulatory changes regarding rest arrangements have made it more difficult to find available crews.
“Our offer, which was rejected by the union, guaranteed predictable schedules and consecutive days off for employees to ensure a balance between work and rest, while maintaining fluid supply chains” , indicated a CN spokesperson, Jonathan Abecassis, by email.
This proposal calls for employees to work 40 hours per week, with at least 10 or 12 hours off between shifts, depending on whether they are at home or away, and two or three consecutive days off per shift. week, in accordance with federal rules.
Mr Abecassis argued the union’s demands would strain supply chains and increase costs for consumers.
A CPKC spokesman, Patrick Waldron, says the company has proposed wage increases, quality of life improvements and predictable schedules with assigned days off, but that the railroad and the union ” remain very far apart on these questions.
Federal conciliators participated in the development of nine of the ten collective agreements reached since 1993 between Canadian Pacific and train and yard workers represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, the railway company said.
Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern reached their agreement to become Canadian Pacific Kansas City last year, creating a network that stretches from Halifax to Vancouver and from the U.S. Gulf Coast to southern Mexico.
Other improvements sought
Fatigue management remains a safety concern in the rail freight sector and has been on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s “watch list” since 2016.
New rules came into force last May, capping the maximum shift length of workers in the freight transport sector to 12 hours, up from 16. They also increased the minimum rest period between shifts at 10 a.m. at home and 12 a.m. outside the home, compared to 6 and 8 hours respectively previously.
In June, a Federal Court judge found Canadian Pacific in contempt of court for employees who worked excessively long hours in 2018 and 2019. The company promised to appeal.
Current collective agreements go beyond what the regulations require in terms of rest, explains Christopher Monette, spokesperson for Teamsters Canada.
For example, engineers — who operate the train — and conductors — who oversee schedules and communications — can limit their shift to 10 hours rather than the 12-hour cap stipulated in federal rules.
“We are filling the gaps in the regulations that we believe exist and we are seeking to improve them in the interest of our members and the public,” said Mr. Monette in a telephone interview.
The union hopes for further improvements to existing rest rules, he added.
In March 2022, Canadian Pacific locked out its workers for two days over a dispute over wages, benefits and pensions, before both sides agreed to mandatory arbitration.
In November 2019, a rail strike gripped the country for eight days until CN and 3,000 railroad workers reached a tentative agreement, ending a labor dispute that disrupted shipments, caused layoffs and disrupted work. industries across the country.
Several incidents this month have highlighted the dangers of railway work.
Two crew members were injured Friday when four CPKC locomotives struck a stopped train and derailed Friday evening east of Revelstoke, British Columbia, starting a fire.
The Transportation Safety Board also said officers were deployed to the scene of another Canadian Pacific derailment on Saturday, about 200 kilometers further east, in Field, also in British Columbia.
Since the start of the year, several workers at major US rail companies have also died in separate incidents.