BURLINGTON, Ont., June 5 — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Rail Canada Traffic Controllers may soon be walking a picket-line. If a settlement is not reached, a strike or lockout could occur on the Canadian Pacific Railway as early as June 18.
The negotiations are at a stand-still. At the present time, the parties are not talking and the possibility of a strike or lockout is very probable. A strike or lockout could result in the stoppage of train movements throughout Canada.
The more than 200 members of RCTC-BLE perform safety critical duties for the railway and are held to a high standard of performance. Rail traffic controllers (RTC) are considered to be the eyes and ears of the railway system, and have a high level of responsibility and standards that they must adhere to. The RTC work with limited supervision and are responsible for the movement of trains over an assigned territory.
The position has been compared, in terms of responsibility, to that of an air traffic controller. The lives of individuals responsible for the movement of trains, rail inspection equipment and rail repair equipment depend on the controllers.
The negotiations between RCTC and Canadian Pacific began on September 1, 2002 with both the union and the company serving notice to commence collective bargaining as required by the Canadian Labour Code. In March 2003, the union filed for conciliation due to the fact that Canadian Pacific was placing additional demands on the RCTC and the negotiations had stalled. The government appointed a conciliator, and the parties had 60 days to reach an agreement. The 60-day period ended on May 27 with no agreement reached.
The parties are presently in a “cooling off” period and have the legal right to impose a strike or a lockout beginning on June 18.
“There are various issues that seem to be standing in the way of an agreement between both parties. Our union is seeking a pay scale similar to that of the Rail Canada Traffic Controllers employed by Canadian National Railway,” said RCTC-BLE General Chairman J.E. Ruddick. “We also oppose the company’s attacks on our work rules and their demands with regards to changes in our benefits package.