Railway workers, their union and their employers are all waiting today for a decision from the Canada Industrial Relations Board that will determine what’s next for the labour dispute that ground trains across the country to a halt this week.
CN served with strike notice; stoppage continues at CPKC
Railway workers, their union and their employers are all waiting today for a decision from the Canada Industrial Relations Board that will determine what’s next for the labour dispute that ground trains across the country to a halt this week.
On Thursday, the federal government asked the board to enact binding arbitration in the dispute between Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CPKC), Canadian National Railway Co. and their workers.
The government also asked the board to force them back to work while an agreement is hammered out.
The board summoned the parties to a meeting Thursday night and held a hearing Friday, and has said it’s addressing the issue “with utmost urgency.”
With rail service affected by a dispute between the Teamsters Canada union and CN and CPKC railways, many consumers are bracing for potential price increases caused by higher transportation costs as well as shortages of some items.
However, the Teamsters union has issued a 72-hour strike notice against CN, even as the railway company started moving trains again Friday morning.
Meanwhile at CPKC, the union has challenged the government’s directive for binding arbitration, and as of Friday the rail company’s operations remained shut down.