(The following article by Brookes Merritt was posted on the Edmonton Sun website on February 15.)
EDMONTON — CN officials continue to insist striking workers are having little effect on railroad operations, but United Transportation Union members say several recent railyard incidents indicate otherwise.
Four cars operated by non-UTU workers and “management replacement personnel” derailed in Fort Saskatchewan Tuesday.
That same day four cars skipped the tracks at the Symington railyard in Manitoba, and a locomotive derailed in Prince George, B.C. No one was injured in the incidents.
Internet discussion boards are also reporting several other unconfirmed derailments in Eastern Canada.
CN spokesman Jim Feeny said Tuesday’s incident in Fort Saskatchewan was unrelated to the strike. He said the Symington derailment is still under investigation.
Local UTU chairman Greg Alm said it’s hard to attribute all of the incidents to replacement staff, “but it’s easy to see the frequency of accidents affected by lack of experience.”
Alm said unionized conductors normally get six months of training before they are certified.
CN has said rail service is running at “almost” the same level as before last Saturday’s strike began and has used percentages of up to 80% service levels. Union members say that number is inflated, and plummeting daily.