Canadian National Railway (CR) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and the union representing the country’s rail workers have agreed to restart negotiations on a new labor deal.
On August 5, Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon revealed that his office had met with CN, CPKC and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) to “discuss the government’s expectations in their collective bargaining negotiations,” with all parties ultimately agreeing to come back to the bargaining table with a federal mediator starting on August 7.
“The meetings were frank, constructive discussions that reflected the gravity of the situation before Canada’s railways, workforce and entire economy,” he said in a news release posted to social media. “We expect these negotiations to be productive and substantive engagements that meet the needs of this moment.”
This marks a substantial change in tone following weeks of stalled talks, after CPKC CEO Keith Creel told analysts on a recent conference call that he believed a strike sometime before the end of August was “probable,” and that reaching an agreement with TCRC was “going to be a challenge.” TCRC reauthorized a strike on June 20, giving it the authority to call for a work stoppage within 60 days, with the authorization expiring on August 20. The union also can’t technically go on strike until Canada’s Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) finishes a review of critical shipments that would need to continue in the event of a stoppage. The CIRB says it plans to communicate its decision to TCRC in writing by August 9.
