(The Canadian Press circulated the following story by Ross Marowits on April 12.)
MONTREAL — The federal labour minister urged Canadian National Railway and its striking workers yesterday to return to the bargaining table to avoid causing long-term economic disruptions.
“Canada’s new government encourages the parties to continue their negotiations and try to reach an acceptable collective agreement without disrupting the national economy,” Jean-Pierre Blackburn said in a news release.
Back-to-work legislation – tabled in the House of Commons on Feb. 24 to end a 15-day strike – is ready to be passed if necessary, he added.
“A negotiated settlement is always preferable to legislation.”
CN said it is prepared to accept a union request to resume negotiations amid rotating strikes, but won’t improve the economic offer that was overwhelmingly rejected by 2,800 conductors and yard workers.
“CN is prepared to meet the union,” said spokesman Mark Hallman. “They are interested in renewing talks and at the end of the day we just need to take a look at what the parties are talking about and see if we can make progress.”
CEO Hunter Harrison, in a letter to company managers last month, said workers should not expect CN to improve its offer if talks resume.
But after workers spurned the proposal Tuesday, the United Transportation Union called for negotiations to achieve a collective agreement “that meets the concerns and expectations of our membership.”
The rejected contract, retroactive to Jan. 1, included a 3 per cent wage hike and $1,000 signing bonuses.
“Now that the vote is over and we don’t have a contract, we’re resuming picket lines across Canada to pressure CN to negotiate a better contract for our members,” vice-president John Armstrong said in a media conference call. “Our members want a collective agreement that demonstrates respect for them for the work that they do.”
Rail conductors and yard workers picketed yesterday at a Vancouver-area CN rail yard, as well as in Kamloops, B.C.; Oakville, Ont.; and Halifax. Meanwhile, CN locked out a total of 170 workers in Oakville, Brantford, and Aldershot, Ont., as well as Vancouver.
Hallman said CN will maintain service as well as it can by using management employees. Unlike the 15-day strike in February, he said, the railway doesn’t expect to face a total walkout or the severe weather that hampered its efforts.
“Our service levels will be affected by the frequency, location and the severity of the UTU’s rotating work actions.”
(With file from Tess Kalinowski)