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Canadian Rail Union Says It Filed Suit on Back-to-Work Order
Trains Will Keep Moving as Arbitration Process Plays Out
The Teamsters union that represents workers at both of Canada鈥檚 largest freight railroads has filed the lawsuits it promised challenging the orders that forced employees back to work and got the trains moving again, the union announced Aug. 30.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference doesn鈥檛 want to let the precedent stand that the government can block a strike and take away a union鈥檚 leverage in negotiations. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 government stepped in to this contract dispute after both Canadian National and CPKC locked out their workers Aug. 22 because of fears about the widespread economic consequences of letting the trains so many businesses rely on remain parked.
鈥淭he right to collectively bargain is a constitutional guarantee. Without it, unions lose leverage to negotiate better wages and safer working conditions for all Canadians,鈥 the union鈥檚 President Paul Boucher said Aug. 30. 鈥淲e are confident that the law is on our side, and that workers will have their voices heard.鈥
CPKC declined to comment Aug. 30 on the lawsuits. Canadian National has not commented.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (Teamsters) filed appeals challenging the decisions that led to binding arbitration being imposed on workers at CN and CPKC, effectively stripping them of their right to collectively bargain. 鈥 Teamsters Canada (@TeamstersCanada)
The lawsuits won鈥檛 stop the trains because the government ordered the union to stay on the job while the arbitration process plays out.
The nearly 10,000 workers the Teamsters represent at both railroads couldn鈥檛 reach an agreement over a new contract despite negotiations dragging on for nearly a year. The talks deadlocked over the railroads鈥 efforts to switch to an hourly based pay and scheduling system instead of the current mileage-based system. The union worried the changes the railroads proposed would erode their hard-fought protections against fatigue and make their jobs less safe.
The union challenged the labor minister鈥檚 order that sent the dispute into arbitration, and the Canada Industrial Relations Board decision Saturday that forced them back to work. The labor minister didn鈥檛 immediately respond to questions about the lawsuits.
Canadian National got moving again the morning of Aug. 23 after being idle for more than a day, but CPKC railroad wasn鈥檛 able to resume operating its trains until Aug. 26 when the order took effect.
