After weeks of waiting, Canadian rail workers are undeterred in their desire to initiate a work stoppage.
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More than 9,300 union members at Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railways voted to reauthorize strikes at both companies Friday if negotiated settlements cannot be reached.
Members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) previously voted in favor of strike action on May 1, but the 60-day time limit on the vote expired.
While the initial authorization vote put forward plans for the rail workers to strike on May 22, no such action has been taken as the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) is currently reviewing whether a work stoppage would impede the country’s railroads from transporting certain essential goods. It remains unclear when the CIRB will issue a decision on the ongoing federal review, with CPKC saying in a statement Friday it is unlikely the parties will be able to initiate a legal strike or lockout before mid-July or later.
“CPKC has requested that the CIRB extend the cooling-off period for 30 days after the date on which the CIRB issues its decision,” CPKC said in the statement. “This would help provide stability and predictability regarding the timelines for a potential work stoppage and allow all stakeholders to plan for such an eventuality.”
In any event, under Canadian labor laws, a strike or lockout cannot occur unless a minimum of 72 hours’ notice is provided. As a result, no strike date has been announced.
Sourcing Journal reached out to CN and CPKC.
Overall, workers across both railroads voted 98.6 percent in favor of reauthorizing a strike, with an 89.5 percent overall voter turnout, according to the Teamsters.
At CN, 98.4 percent of conductors, locomotive engineers and yard workers voted to reauthorize a strike, with a 90.1 percent turnout. And at CPKC, 99.2 percent of employees across those positions agreed to keep the strike in effect, with an 88.6 percent turnout.
Rail traffic controllers at CPKC have voted 95.7 percent to reauthorize a strike, with 88.5 percent of these workers coming out to vote.
“CN and CPKC are trying to force changes to our collective agreements that would move the clock back on working conditions and rail safety,” said Paul Boucher, president of TCRC, in a statement. “The Teamsters are trying to stop them. With this renewed strike mandate, 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 and protect all Canadians.”
In the event of a rail strike, affected ports would include those in Vancouver, Prince Rupert , Montreal and Halifax, with the delay of intermodal cargo services at Canadian container terminals further exacerbating port congestion concerns.
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CPKC president and CEO Keith Creel already expressed worries of a potential strike during an April earnings call, saying it would seep into the crop harvesting season starting in July, which is “when the demands for our service and the needs of the country have never been greater.”
The union called the second vote an “unusual step” due to the delay prompted by the CIRB review.
While the two TCRC collective agreements expired on Dec. 31, 2023, they remain in effect under Canadian labor law until the parties reach new agreements.
CPKC says it has been negotiating with Canada’s Teamsters since last September, while CN joined the fray in November.
Both rail companies say their offer to resolve the dispute through binding interest arbitration is still on the table. The Teamsters have declined both rail operators’ attempts at resolution through arbitration.
CN’s most recent offer to the Teamsters includes wage increases of 3 percent in 2024 and 2.5 percent in 2025, as well as a higher pay rate for “duty hours,” meaning any work comprising more than 10 hours in a shift. CPKC has not revealed pay details of its most recent offering.
“Workers are on the defensive in these negotiations, with both companies demanding a wide range of concessions on issues pertaining to crew scheduling, hours of work and fatigue management. The stumbling blocks are company demands—not union proposals,” the Teamsters said.
The union alleges that both CN and CPKC are trying to “squeeze more availability out of train crews” in the wake of staff shortages, impacting the safety of workers out on the railroads.
“CPKC aims to gut the collective agreement of all safety-critical fatigue provisions,” the Teamsters claim.” The end result will mean train crews would be forced to stay awake even longer, increasing the risk of derailments and other accidents. CPKC has also failed to address the understaffing of rail traffic controllers.”
Meanwhile, the Teamsters also say CN is targeting fewer fatigue provisions, with their offer being contingent on the acceptance of a “forced relocation scheme.”
“Their proposal would see workers ordered to move across the country for months at a time to fill labor shortages in remote areas of Canada,” the union said. “CN’s offer is also contingent on the union agreeing to extend workdays in all provinces west of Ontario.”
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