(The following article by Melissa Ridgen was posted on the Calgary Sun’s website on June 27. Brother Darren Hudspeth is a member of BLE Division 954 in Calgary.)
CALGARY — Striking Canadian Pacific Railway rail traffic controllers got a boost of support yesterday when some members from other unions joined them in a rally outside CP headquarters in the city’s downtown.
About 50 reps from the Teamsters union, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadian Auto Workers and fellow-CP Rail unions offered their support to the 215-member Rail Canada Traffic Controllers who have on strike for a week.
“This demonstrates to CP who is behind us,” said Darren Hudspeth a spokesman for the traffic controllers who oversee and manage train operations on sections of the CPR network from centralized control centres.
They’re demanding a 6%, 3% and 3% pay increase over three years while their employer has offered 2%, 3% and 2.5%.
“We’re sick of two percent, two percent, two percent every year,” Hudspeth said.
CP Rail also wants the workers to pay 10% of the cost of their benefits and would like changes to an agreement that allows traffic controllers to retire at age 55 if they have 30 years of service with the firm.
“Executives are getting pro athlete salaries,” Hudspeth said. “They’re picking on us because we’re the little guys but we’re putting up a fight.”
No further talks are scheduled.