Canadian Labor Minister Rejects CN Request for Intervention in Railroad Labor Dispute

Labor Minister Steve MacKinnon has rejected the Canadian National Railway Company’s (CN) request to intervene in the ongoing labor dispute between the company and the union representing railway employees, CTV News reported (8-15-24).

The decision by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new labor minister comes ahead of a looming lockout and strike that could begin as early as Thursday, August 22nd.

In a letter addressed to CN’s lawyer, MacKinnon said it is the “shared responsibility” of both CN and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) to negotiate in good faith and work diligently towards a new collective agreement.

“I trust that with continued effort, an agreement can be achieved promptly. The government firmly believes in the collective bargaining process and trusts that mutually beneficial agreements are within reach at the bargaining table,” wrote MacKinnon. “To support this process, mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service remain available to work with you to facilitate productive negotiations and help bridge any gaps.”

The union, which represents nearly 10,000 workers at CN and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railway company, said Thursday that it agrees with MacKinnon that “agreements are within reach at the bargaining table.”

“The only way forward is for the rail companies to engage in genuine negotiations at the bargaining table and to back down from their demands for concessions,” wrote Teamsters Canada in a statement provided to CTV News.