The union representing more than 9,000 workers at CN Rail and CPKC said its members overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike order, setting a precedent for both Canadian major railways as early as May 22. It has been announced that there is an increasing possibility of a business stoppage occurring without further downtime.
This is the first time in decades that both railroads face the possibility of a strike at the same time.
Negotiations on the Teamsters’ three collective agreements with the Canadian Railway Council (TCRC), which are set to expire at the end of 2023, have been unsuccessful.
After weeks of electronic voting, the TCRC announced the following strike vote results Wednesday morning:
– In CN, conductors, locomotive engineers and shipyard workers voted 97.6% to authorize a strike, with a turnout of 93.3%.
– At CPKC, conductors, locomotive engineers and shipyard workers voted 99% to authorize a strike, with a turnout of 91.7%.
– 95.3% of CPKC railway traffic controllers approved the strike, with a turnout of 96.6%.
“A simultaneous shutdown of operations at both CN and CPKC would likely disrupt supply chains on a scale Canada has never experienced,” said TCRC Chairman Paul Boucher. “We want to be clear that it is not and never will be our goal to cause a crisis of this scale. Realistically, we want to avoid work stoppages. In response, we will return to the negotiating table and work with federal mediators to do everything we can to reach a fair agreement for our members, without sacrificing safety or putting profit over people. It’s a tough deal.”
At least four consecutive labor negotiations between CPKC (then CP Railway) and TCRC in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2022 have resulted in work stoppages. CN’s TCRC members went on an eight-day strike in 2019 and agreed to a three-year contract that expires in mid-2022. The collective agreement with CN, which expired on December 31, was only ratified last May.
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More than 9,000 CN and CPKC workers to vote on strike order
The possibility of a double rail strike looms as contract negotiations remain stalled
