Teamsters Canada to Hold Second Strike Vote for CN and CKPC Rail Workers

The union representing more than 9,000 Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CKPC) railroad workers has organized a second strike vote amid stalled contract negotiations with the railroads, FreightWaves reported (6-18-24).

In a news release, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) said, “It is clear we cannot rely on a timely conclusion to these unfortunate circumstances and must protect our rights regardless of outcome.” On May 1st, CN and CPKC workers voted to authorize a strike that could have begun on May 22nd.

However, on May 13th, Canadian Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan referred the dispute to the Canadian Industrial Relations Boards (CIRB), which indefinitely paused any possible work stoppage until the CIRB issues its decision on whether the potential strike could have an impact on public safety, FreightWaves reported.

TCRC’s second strike vote began on Friday and will end on June 29th, as the current strike mandate is set to expire on June 30th. Canadian labor laws prohibit unions from declaring a strike unless its members have approved walking off the job in the previous 60 days.

If the CIRB rules that a strike would not cause a serious threat to public safety, the earliest a strike could occur would be mid-July, according to CPKC. “In any event, a legal strike or lockout cannot occur until at least 72 hours after the CIRB renders a decision,” CPKC added.