Sean O’Brien, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada, were on the picket line at CPKC’s headquarters in Calgary on August 23.
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The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) remained defiant after the Canadian government ordered binding arbitration to force railroaders back to work after they had been locked out by management at Canadian National and CPKC railways.
In a statement, TCRC said its members would begin returning to work at CN today (August 23), but that the work stoppage at CPKC remains ongoing “pending an order from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). Despite the Labor Minister’s referral, there is no clear indication that the CIRB will actually order an end to the labor dispute at CPKC.” TCRC also filed a new, 72-hour strike notice at CN, with members potentially walking off the job on August 26.
CN and CPKC locked out about 10,000 TCRC members after an impasse in contract negotiations. The lockout began at midnight on August 22, and the government order came about 16 hours later.
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference President Paul Boucher reacted with anger to the government mandate. “By resorting to binding arbitration, the government has allowed CN and CPKC to sidestep a union determined to protect rail safety,” he said in a statement. “Despite claiming to value and honor the collective bargaining process, the federal government quickly used its authority to suspend it, mere hours after an employer-imposed work stoppage. The two major railways in Canada manufactured this crisis, took the country hostage, and manipulated the government to once again disregard the rights afforded to working-class Canadians. The TCRC is deeply disappointed by this shameful decision.”
Prior to the lockout, BLET National President Eddie Hall said, “Our TCRC Brothers and Sisters have 100 percent of our support in their struggle with CPKC and CN.” He also told the Washington Post that BLET members were instructed to honor picket lines in areas operated by Canadian rail workers (not including informational picketing or leafletting that may happen on U.S. soil).
TCRC President Boucher said the main obstacles to reaching an agreement are the companies’ demands, not union proposals. He said both railways have been hit by labor shortages and are trying to squeeze more availability out of train crews.
Teamsters Canada/TCRC photos
