The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) expects to meet the mediator at the bargaining table on Sunday afternoon despite the decision of Canadian Pacific management to impose a lockout, a union spokesperson said.
More than 3,000 of the company’s employees — locomotive engineers, conductors, trainmen and yardmen — find themselves on the picket line after the breakdown of recent negotiations.
Management and the union each blame the opposing party for this work stoppage, which is hitting a supply chain that has already been severely disrupted in recent months.
The company (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) announced on Wednesday that it would lock out its employees before its unionized employees carry out their strike threat.
In response, the union members went on strike in turn, the Teamsters said in a statement.
Salaries and pension funds are among the main points of contention in the talks, according to a Teamsters statement released overnight from Saturday to Sunday. Negotiations also cover certain working conditions, such as the mandatory rest period.
The union says it expressed its wish to continue to negotiate, but the employer preferred to set in motion the lockout, according to the press release.
“We are very disappointed with the turn of events,” said Dave Fulton, CFTC spokesman at the bargaining table. Canadian Pacific management must take full responsibility for the situation. […] In addition, (the employer) then changed the rules of the game at the last minute when it came time to discuss the terms of a final and binding arbitration. »
For his part, the federal Minister of Labor, Seamus O’Regan, took note of the outbreak of the work stoppage at Canadian Pacific. However, he recalled that the two parties continued to negotiate.
“Negotiations always come with challenges, but you have to overcome them to get the deal you want. CP and CFTC continue their work today. Canadians are counting on a quick resolution,” he said on Twitter on Sunday morning.