No progress on rail strike negotiations, say union, companies

No progress has been made in negotiations with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railway the union representing workers said yesterday.

Earlier this month, rail workers from Canadian National (CN) and CPKC voted overwhelmingly to strike as soon as May 22. The federal government asked the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to look at whether the strike would have safety implications. This delays any strike action until at least 72 hours after the board hands down a decision.

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Contracts covering locomotive engineers, conductors and yard workers at CN and CPKC at the end of 2023 and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) is re-negotiating a third agreement covering CPKC rail traffic controllers.

Agriculture groups have said a strike could bring grain movement to a halt, which would mean financial losses for farmers.

In an update to members on May 22, TCRC said it met with the company and federal mediators in Montreal on May 17.

“Despite being ready to negotiate over the long weekend, the Company declined to participate unless their original demands were met,” TCRC said.

The groups parted ways on Tuesday and no more meetings have been scheduled, the union added.

“Ultimately, no progress has been made on the Union’s demands this week. The Company clearly indicated its preference for arbitration over negotiation, suggesting it hopes for government intervention to stop collective bargaining.”

In a news release yesterday, CPKC said it has “done everything it can to restore certainty and predictability for all our employees, their families and our supply chains.” This includes two different offers to the union.

It said TCRC refused an offer to resolve the dispute via binding arbitration.

“CPKC remains firmly committed to negotiating renewed agreements to avoid a work stoppage that would be detrimental to the interests of all stakeholders… Unfortunately, it is clear the TCRC leadership does not share that commitment,” the company said.

On May 16, CN said it had presented a new offer to the union that adds overtime pay for shifts over 10 hours with a maximum of 12 hours per shift for employees in Western Canada, scheduled days off and wage increases of three per cent in 2024 and 2.5 per cent in 2025.

In an update to members, TCRC said the offer “decimates your collective agreements and compromises your safety in favour of operational ease and profits.”

The union has accused the rail companies of trying to remove rest provisions they say are critical to safety. CN said its offer requires employees to comply with duty and rest period rules.

CPKC said offers it has made don’t compromise safety. “To say or suggest otherwise is patently false,” it said in the May 22 news release.