(Montreal) The union that represents more than 9,000 workers at Canada’s two largest railway companies says public safety is at stake as collective negotiations are currently stalled and a potential strike looms on the horizon.
On Friday, Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) asked the federal Minister of Labor to appoint a conciliator in negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements for conductors, engineers and workers marshalling yard.
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.
According to the national president of Teamsters Canada, François Laporte, the two railway companies are considering eliminating key rest provisions from employment contracts, which could increase crew fatigue and endanger 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.
CN says recent regulatory changes have made it more difficult to recruit crew and required a modernization of the compensation model.
The CPKC says it has been negotiating in good faith since September and has proposed pay increases and greater scheduling predictability, but the positions of the employer and the union “remain irreconcilable.”