Union for Workers at Canada’s Two Largest Rail Operators Warns of Work Stoppage as Talks Stall

The union representing almost 9,300 workers at Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Canada’s two largest rail operators, has indicated that the railroads are pushing toward a work stoppage after negotiations have deadlocked over issues regarding working conditions and wage increases, FreightWaves reported on Tuesday (2-20-24).

The collective bargaining agreements between workers and CN and CPKC expired on December 31st.

According to a press release issued by François Laporte, national president of Teamsters Canada, “CN and CPKC aim to eliminate all safety-critical rest provisions from our collective agreements. These provisions are necessary to combat crew fatigue and ensure public safety. We want to reach a negotiated settlement, but their demands are non-starters for the Teamsters.”

CPKC spokesman Patrick Waldron said the company has offered wage increases, quality-of-life improvements, and predictable schedules with assigned days off, but that the railway and the union “remain far apart on the issues.”

On Friday, CN and CKPC filed notices of dispute with the federal labor minister and requested the appointment of a conciliator for the bargaining process over a new collective bargaining agreement for train conductors, engineers, and yard workers, FreightWaves reported.

The notice of dispute starts the clock on a possible strike or lockout, which could occur in 81 days (early May).