Toronto, May 2, 2024
The following message was issued by the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA) on Thursday, May 2, 2024:
CP, CN Railway Workers Vote to Strike
Workers for Canada’s biggest railways have voted to strike, setting the stage for a potentially crippling labour disruption that could stall freight shipments across the country.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union says members working at Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate as both sides remain far apart in labour negotiations.
The Teamsters could now call for a nationwide rail strike as early as May 22. It would impact around 9,900 train conductors, locomotive engineers and other workers.
The union said turnout for the votes came in at 92 percent, with 98 percent supporting a strike mandate. The numbers varied among the four bargaining units, though none came back at lower than 95 percent.
The strike vote comes at the end of the 60-day conciliation period between the railways and unions. Both sides are now in a 21-day cooling off period. No strike or lockout can take place until it concludes.
Read more in an article from iPolitics.
For more information, please call Debbie McGuire, Director – Freight Solutions at (905) 882-4880, ext. 1308.
