As many as 5,000 workers at Canadian Pacific Railway will be in a legal strike position as early as May 22 unless their union and the railway company can reach a new labour agreement by that date.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, which represents conductors, yard workers, engineers and traffic controllers, announced last week that TCRC members had voted 95 percent in favour of a strike mandate.
The railway and TCRC members have been involved in labour negotiations since October, 2011 but have yet to reach an agreement on several key issues including pensions, wages and time off.
Affected workers have been without a contract since Jan. 1, 2012.
CP spokesperson Ed Greenberg downplayed the strike mandate, suggesting talks between the company and the union are continuing.
