Labour negotiations involving Canadian Pacific Railway and 3,800 unionized workers have reached an impasse.
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference announced Nov. 21 that talks with the CP — Canada’s second largest railway — have stalled.
The teamsters union, which represents CP locomotive engineers and conductors, has filed a mediation request with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
The existing labour contract is due to expire Dec. 31.
The union said a key point in negotiations is worker fatigue.
“The negotiations have stalled because we think the employer isn’t committed,” said the union’s chief negotiator, Doug Finnson, in a Nov. 21 news release.
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“They want significant concessions, a dramatic increase in working hours out of each employee, provide less rest hours, and within an industry plagued by fatigue already.”
CP officials told Reuters last week that the company has offered wage increases, an improved benefit plan and a number of other contract enhancements.
“To be clear, it was the union that terminated the negotiation sessions this week and we are waiting to hear back from them,” CP spokesperson Breanne Feigel wrote in an email.
“On the subject of fatigue, CP has proposed a scheduling framework that allows for greater predictability such that these employees will know when they will work and when they will be off.”
Finnson said the main issue in the current round of negotiations is not money.
“The main issue in these negotiations has nothing to do with wages or the pension plan,” he said.
“We’re insisting on fatigue management because we want to make sure our members, and the public, are as safe as possible.”
