On Thursday, Canadian Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to assist the rail companies and Teamsters Canada in settling their dispute after the union began a strike earlier in the day.
“Please find this letter as official notice to the Company of our intention [CN] of our intention to withdraw the services of our combined membership of approximately 6500 members … effective 1000 EST Monday, 26 August 2024,” the letter said, despite the union announcing hours earlier that it was taking down its picket lines at the CN and that rail workers would be returning to work on Friday
The union continues to believe that all matters at stake are negotiable and remains available for discussions in order to find a negotiated solution and avoid a further work stoppage, the letter added.
Teamsters Canada is the country’s largest transportation and supply chain union. It is involved in a longstanding dispute with the CN and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) over a new collective agreement. Both companies move around C$1 billion ($736 million) worth of goods on a daily basis, according to the Railway Association of Canada.
The union says the main obstacle to a negotiated agreement remains the companies’ demands rather than union proposals. Companies continue to seek a weakening of protections around rest periods and scheduling, increasing the risk of fatigue-related safety issues.