The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference has taken down its picket lines at Canadian National Railway and will begin returning to work, the union said in a brief statement early today (Friday, Aug. 23).
But the union said the work stoppage continues at Canadian Pacific Kansas City pending an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, acting on Thursday’s order from Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon. “Despite the Labour Minister’s referral,” the TCRC said in its statement, “there is no clear indication that the CIRB will actually order an end to the labour dispute at CPKC.” The two sides met with the CIRB Thursday, the union said, and will do so again today at 10 a.m. ET.
CPKC said in a statement issued after Thursday’s meeting with the CIRB that it was “fully prepared to address the resumption of service given its obvious priority,” but that the union “refused to discuss any resumption of service, and instead indicated that they wish to make submissions to challenge the constitutionality of the Minister’s direction, as well as the CIRB’s discretion to proceed with any order. …
“While the Minister directed that the CIRB proceed expeditiously, any decision by the CRIB on the resumption of service will be delayed. CPKC remains prepared to resume service as soon as it is ordered to do so by the CIRB.
“CPKC is disappointed by this delay, which will affect our ability to resume serving the Canadian economy.”
The TCRC represents about 3,300 train crew members at CPKC, as well as a small number of rail traffic controllers who are also off the job. About 6,000 crew members are returning to work at CN.
The union’s actions follow differing initial responses by CN and CPKC to Thursday’s announcement from Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon that he was ordering the railroads to resume operation and sending their dispute with the TCRC to binding arbitration. CN ended its lockout as of 6 p.m. ET Thursday ahead of any order, citing the best interests of the economy; CPKC said it would begin preparing to resume operation but would await the CIRB order before releasing further details on the timing. [See “Canada’s labor minister orders arbitration …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 22, 2024].
