Teamsters Vote to Authorize Strikes at CN and CPKC
May 01 2024 - 1:30PM
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) today announced that
close to 10,000 workers at CN and CPKC have voted to authorize
strikes at both companies. Unless parties can reach an agreement, a
work stoppage can occur as early as May 22, at 00:01.
At CN, conductors, locomotive engineers, and yard workers have
voted 97.6% to authorize a strike, with a 93.3% turnout.
At CPKC, conductors, locomotive engineers, and yard workers have
voted 99% to authorize a strike, with a 91.7% turnout.
And finally, rail traffic controllers – or RTCs – at CPKC have
voted 95.3% to authorize a strike, with a 96.6% turnout.
“After six months of negotiations with both companies, we are no
closer to reaching a settlement than when we first began. Both
companies are trying to strip our collective agreements of
safety-critical rest provisions. We are at an impasse, with the
companies failing to understand that the Teamsters will never
compromise on safety or bargain with Canadian lives,” said Paul
Boucher, president of the TCRC.
“A simultaneous work stoppage at both CN and CPKC would disrupt
supply chains on a scale Canada has likely never experienced. I
would like to make it very clear that provoking a crisis on that
scale has not been, and never will be, our goal. The reality is
that we would very much like to avoid a work stoppage. With these
results, we intend to go back to the bargaining table, work with
federal mediators, and do everything in our power to reach a fair
deal for our members. A deal that does not compromise on safety –
or put profits over people,” added Boucher.
At over 125,000 members, Teamsters Canada is the country’s
largest transportation and supply chain union. It’s also the
largest union in the federally regulated private sector. They are
affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which
represents over 1.2 million workers in North America.
Media requests:
Christopher MonetteDirector, Public Affairs, Teamsters
CanadaCell: 514-226-6002cmonette@teamsters.ca