(The Canadian Press circulated the following on June 5.)
OTTAWA — Talks aimed at ending a strike at Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. appeared to be on a slow track yesterday, despite help from the federal Labour Department’s chief mediator.
“This is not easy, is what I’ve heard,” Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn said as he left the House of Commons.
Officials from Canadian Pacific Railway and the Teamsters union resumed mediated talks Sunday night in Ottawa.
The negotiations continued through the day yesterday with no agreement in sight.
Blackburn invited the two sides back to the table and, as a signal of the importance of a quick resolution, appointed Elizabeth MacPherson, director general for the federal mediation and conciliation service, as mediator.
Blackburn said he had no intention of introducing back-to-work legislation to end the strike to end the three-week old dispute.
“We really prefer the people would be able to reach an agreement,” he said.