Close to 3,000 employees of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.
Calgary-based CP Rail said in a statement Wednesday that it had issued a 72-hour notice to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference of its plan to exclude employees at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday when union and company are unable to to come to a negotiated settlement or agree to binding arbitrators.
CP Rail said on Tuesday it had submitted a bid to address 26 exceptional issues, including union key issues of wages, benefits and pensions through final and binding arbitration.
The company said the union had rejected the offer and was making further demands.
“For the benefit of our employees, our customers, the supply chain we serve and the Canadian economy, which is trying to recover from multiple disruptions, we simply cannot prolong for weeks or months the insecurity associated with a potential work disruption. , “said CP Rail President and CEO Keith Creel in a statement.
“The world has never used Canada’s resources and an efficient transportation system to deliver them more than it does today. Delaying the resolution would only make matters worse. We are taking this action with a view to this. To bring insecurity to an end. “
‘Themes they created’
Teamsters Canada said in a statement that the move was expected by the company, noting that its members voted 96.7 percent to authorize strike action.
Teamsters’ spokesman Dave Fulton said the union is committed to working with federal mediators and reaching a negotiated settlement. He said the union was willing to stay at the negotiating table until the March 20 deadline and beyond.
“At the negotiating table, the CP continues to dismiss the requests of our members and is unwilling to negotiate the issues they have raised,” he said. “Our members are fully committed and are ready in case CP executes the notice.”
The union represents about 3,000 locomotive engineers, conductors, train and yard workers across Canada.
CP customers fear disruption of supply chains
Many of CP Rail’s customers have concerns about the possibility of a work disruption at a time when supply chains are already strained due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canadian manufacturers, grain carriers, and farmers have all been warned of potentially far-reaching impacts.
Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan issued a statement on Wednesday evening regarding the blocking notice. He said the federal government strongly encourages both parties to make compromises necessary to reach a deal that is fair to both workers and employers.
“Our government respects and has confidence in the collective bargaining process because we know that the best deals are the ones that the parties have reached at the negotiating table,” O’Regan said.
“The Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, and I understand the implications of a potential work stoppage and are observing the situation closely. We are encouraged to see that both parties are still negotiating.
“We are in direct contact with the parties and they are called upon to work together to resolve their issues and reach a deal as soon as possible, and will continue to do so.”
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