MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway said today that it had formally offered binding arbitration to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference in an effort to reach a new contract.
The labor union turned down the offer, made earlier this week, CN said in an update on the dispute between the railroad and its operating crews. CPKC had made a similar offer in May, which was also rejected [see “CPKC and Teamsters Canada remain at impasse …,” Trains News Wire, May 23, 2024].
The possibility of a strike or lockout — once possible as early as May 22 — has been placed on hold since Canada’s Labor Minister asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to determine if the movement of some commodities might be deemed essential even in the event of a work stoppage [see “CPKC says Canadian rail strike or lockout is unlikely to occur before July,” News Wire, May 16, 2024]. CN, in today’s update, said the parties involved took part in a CIRB case management conference last week, and that the deadline for responses to initial submissions has been extended from May 31 to June 14.
No strike or lockout can take place until the CIRB reaches a decision, but negotiations between the railroads and the TCRC can continue in the interim.
