The president of the union representing 750 striking workers at Canadian National Railway says Canadians should be concerned about the continued safe operations of the rail line after members hit the picket line June 18.
“At present our members have been substituted by replacement workers from both Canada and the U.S.,” Russ Shewchuk, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) vice-president, said in a June 29 statement.
“This should concern everyone in our country, as it opens the door for unqualified people operating and maintaining our rail safety across Canada.”
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Shewchuk said CN has been “stonewalling” negotiations with no talks scheduled despite IBEW’s willing to sit at the table.
“This is another prime example of the importance of federal anti-scab legislation. Legislation that would prevent the employer from using replacement, and likely unqualified workers from crossing legal picket lines,” said Shewchuk in his statement.
The union and company entered into negations in fall 2021 before talks broke down June 15 with IBEW issuing a 72-hour legal work stoppage notice.
In CN’s last statement on the strike on June 20, the company said it was offering a 10 percent increase in wages over three years.
IBEW is not making public it’s position on wages but said in a statement its proposal has remained consistent since the beginning of negotiations despite steep inflationary pressures.
Despite the strike, no serious delays have been reported at the railway.
