The Canadian Senate is poised to approve legislation today that will send more than 4,000 striking Canadian Pacific Railway employees back to work as early as tomorrow.
The House of Commons approved back-to-work legislation early this morning after a decision by the Conservative government to sharply curtail debate to one day.
The bill was sent to the Conservative-dominated Senate that is expected to approve the bill by the end of today.
Opposition New Democratic Party and Liberal MPs opposed the government intervention in the railway labour dispute, arguing that government’s history of intervening in national strikes that inconvenience Canadians means employers do not have to make a serious attempt to settle a contract knowing that the government will get involved.
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In this case, the legislation sends the dispute to binding arbitration with a decision to come down within 90 days unless the appointed arbitrator needs more time.
Grain Growers of Canada president Stephen Vandervalk issued a statement thanking the government for moving quickly and MPs for working into the night to get the bill approved.
“It is a big worry off everyone’s mind because this is a crucial time for farmers across Canada,” he said in the statement. “Many farmers are just finishing seeding and now (are) in the midst of hauling last year’s crop that will help pay our fertilizer and chemical bills.”
They need the railway service.
The GGC president said it reinforces the industry’s need for rail service guarantee legislation.
As MPs sat past midnight, labour minister Lisa Raitt said it was important to end the Teamsters Canada strike because only one-quarter of CPR employees are involved and yet the entire railway is affected.
The average job pays $79,000 and those workers are not earning a salary, she said. It was the government’s intent to “get CP trains rolling again and enable the Canadian economy to continue to create jobs.”
New Democrat David Christopherson, after listening to Raitt’s comment and without using his name, invoked the image of 1930s Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, who came to power promising to make the trains run on time.
Christopherson said the Conservatives are trampling on worker rights for efficiency.
“They ought to think about the fact that this is all about making the trains run on time,” said the MP from Hamilton, Ont. “That is the priority.”
