Canadian Government Intervenes to End Railway Worker Lockout
In a post on X (the social media network formerly known as Twitter), Teamsters Canada said it has taken down picket lines at CN and its members will begin returning to work Friday, Aug. 23. However, Teamsters Canada said it is not certain the CIRB will take action regarding the CPKC shutdown, but the union and railroad officials will meet today.
As previously reported by CNBC, two railroad lines claimed they had been bargaining in good faith and made multiple contract offers with improvements to wages and working conditions before instituting the lockout.
Meanwhile, the Teamsters said they are concerned over issues such as length of shift, scheduling, rest periods between shifts and work-life balance.
Moody’s has estimated the stoppage could cost Canada more than $250 million per day and disrupt shipments of vital products. U.S. Department of Transportation figures indicate that rail shipments account for 14% of U.S.-Canada bilateral trade, which surpassed $380 billion from January to June 2024.
This article was originally covered in sister publication Chain Store Age.