The work stoppage that broke out last weekend at the Canadian Pacific Railway is over.
On Tuesday night, the company and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), the union that represents about 3,000 conductors, mechanics and other workers, agreed to the establishment of final and binding arbitration.
In such a process, the parties agree to accept the arbitrator’s decision as final.
CFTC spokesman Dave Fulton confirmed that union members will return to work at 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday.
Mr. Fulton acknowledged that wages and the pension plan remain stumbling blocks and that arbitration is not the preferred method, but in his view the union was able to negotiate terms that were within the best interest of its members.
Canadian Pacific President and CEO Keith Creel said in a statement that the agreement allows the rail carrier to once again provide essential services to customers and the North American supply chain.
On social media, Federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan thanked both sides for continuing to negotiate and for reaching an agreement with the help of federal mediators. He also wrote that when employers and unions work together, the results are good for Canadians and the country’s economy.
On Monday, Canadian Pacific customers called on the Government of Canada to force a return to work, citing the potential economic impacts of a lengthy work stoppage when many businesses are already struggling with supply chain difficulties. supplies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather conditions and recent blockades of border crossings by protesters.
Minister O’Regan then underlined that his government believed that the best agreement would be reached at the negotiating table.