A planned labour disruption for April 21 at Canada’s second largest railway has been stopped, for today.
Federal minister of labour Patty Hajdu has agreed with a request from CP Rail to call for a vote about that company’s last offer to two of its groups of workers. The Teamsters and the IBEW represented CP employees will instead be required to vote on the last company offers ahead of any additional labour action.
Whenever federal strike or lockout action is taken federal government appointed mediators become involved, working to bring the parties to some compromises and advise the federal minister’s office about the situation.
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In this case CP Rail had made a request of the government to call for the vote, says the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference-Train and Engine and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and it agreed.
Keith Creel, CP President and CEO said about the pending vote that, “I want to thank the leadership of the TCRC, IBEW, and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for their hard work, collaboration and openness to getting this situation resolved without a work stoppage.”
The two trade unions involved did not offer as positive a perspective of the situation.
“Both bargaining committees have reviewed the final offers, our options, and consulted with our counsel. Both the TCRC and IBEW bargaining committees very strongly recommend that the membership reject the company’s offers.
As a result, the strike notice is withdrawn until the (Canadian Industrial Relations Board) vote is complete, at which time all of the union’s rights to strike are still in force,” said the unions in a joint statement late on April 20.
“CP succeeded in delaying the inevitable. The government will bring this ridiculous offer to our members and we strongly recommend that members vote against it,” said the president of the TCRC, Doug Finnson. “I would like to reassure our members that we have given nothing up.”
“CP can’t hide from us forever,” said the union leader.
“Once our members reject their final offer, CP will have exhausted all possible escape routes and they will face their workers once again.”
At IBEW Steve Martin, Senior General Chairman said, “The fact that CP thinks their offer has a chance in hell of being ratified shows how out of touch they are with their employees.”
“The company is in for a wakeup call,” he said.
There are about 3000 Teamster member conductors and locomotive engineers who, early this month, voted 94 percent to withdraw their services from CP.
About 360 signals and communications employees with IBEW representation voted 98 percent to authorize a strike one week later.
The unions said they will not release the terms of the offers ahead of the electronic vote, however did suggest these did not meet their needs for improved hours of work, wages and improved operations, citing extreme numbers of grievance filings in recent years and worker fatigue as stumbling points.
For a related story that examines farmer group opinion about the situation click here.
