Originally posted on Labor Today
The two main Canadian railroad companies are set to close their operations if an agreement cannot be reached by Thursday, August 22, 12:01 AM, in a nationwide lockout that will prevent railroad workers from entering their workplaces.
Teamsters Canada, the union that represents railroad workers in the country, has mentioned the “main sticking points at the bargaining table are company demands, not union proposals.” Both Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Railroads want concessions on safety issues revolving around crew scheduling, rail safety, and fatigue management.
Like in the U.S., the Canadian railroaders work long hours while having on-call schedules making it difficult to work rested and ready for duty consistently. Both companies claim to be struggling with labor shortages and want to roll back fatigue protections to increase crew availability, regardless of the risks.
CPKC, which was formed from a merger last year from two railroads Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern are proposing to remove collective agreement of safety-critical fatigue provisions that help workers better anticipate when they might be called to work. Removing these provisions would force train crews to stay awake even longer, increasing the risk of derailments and other accidents. CPKC also failed to address the understaffing of rail traffic controllers.
CN is targeting fewer contract provisions around fatigue but still enough to raise safety concerns. Their demand to extend workdays in all provinces west of Ontario is of particular concern. CN aims to implement a forced relocation scheme, which would see workers ordered to move across the country for months to fill labor shortages, tearing families apart.
While the Teamsters Union has expressed their intention to strike, the two companies have declared a lockout for many Canadian rail networks. With close to two weeks of negotiations still ahead, this move represents an unnecessary escalation that goes against the principles of good faith bargaining that CN and CPKC claim to uphold.
In the U.S., railroad workers have also experienced labor disputes with the railroad corporations. Reduction in safety and reduced headcount for crews was a similar problem in 2022 when there was an effort to have a nationwide railroad strike in the U.S. Unlike Canada, the U.S. government prevented a railroad strike from happening. What happened two months later on February 3rd, 2023 was the East Palestine, Ohio derailment which lease to the release of hazardous materials within the city limits.
Teamster Canada mentioned on their website that “compromising on safety or threatening to tear families apart for months at a time, are not pathways to an agreement or solutions to staffing problems. CN and CPKC should instead be looking to improve working conditions and adopt a more humane approach to railroading.”
The Canadian Class 1 railroads are following the American lead in slashing safety to improve production. It is clear they view the lives of their workers as expendable in order to keep the increased profits flowing. LUEL stands in solidarity with the railroaders in Canada in their fight. Read the full statement by Teamsters Canada here.
