(Winnipeg) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is reiterating that his government was justified in seeking binding arbitration to force an end to last week’s work stoppage at the country’s two main rail companies, even as some union leaders accuse Ottawa of taking away their bargaining rights.
In a 15-minute speech Wednesday at a meeting of the International Union of Operating Engineers in Winnipeg, Trudeau touted his government’s record on labour laws.
He argued that the use of binding arbitration to end the work stoppage that began last Thursday at the Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway in Kansas City (CPKC) was done “reluctantly.”
“Unfortunately, last Thursday, CN and CPKC made the deeply unnecessary decision to lock out their employees when negotiations reached an impasse,” Trudeau said.
“This has resulted in costs of over $1 billion per day in shipments […] and raised serious public safety concerns, including propane for remote hospitals and chlorine for drinking water that are transported on our railroads.”
CPKC workers went on strike just as the lockout went into effect. On Saturday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board approved the federal government’s request and ordered binding arbitration and an end to the work stoppage.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, which represents 9,300 rail workers, blasted the government’s decision, saying it deprives workers of their bargaining rights.
Leaders of the dockworkers’ unions in Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax also criticized the decision.
“The decision sets a dangerous precedent for future labour disputes, and sends a signal to Canadian businesses that when negotiations get tough, the federal government will always come to their rescue to help them trample on the rights of their employees,” the unions said in a joint press release issued Wednesday.
Trudeau’s speech came ahead of a Sept. 16 byelection in the Winnipeg-east riding of Elmwood-Transcona. The riding has strong ties to unions and is a New Democratic Party stronghold.
During his speech, Mr. Trudeau highlighted the changes his government has implemented since coming to power in 2015. Among other things, he talked about the law banning replacement workers during labour disputes, which sparked applause from the audience.
Mr. Trudeau did not take questions from reporters on Wednesday, and members of the media were asked to leave the room before union members could ask him questions.
With information from Christopher Reynolds in Montreal