Teamsters Union challenges government’s move to resume rail services amid ongoing CPKC lockout, causing continued disruptions for commuters

23 August: Rail workers strongly opposed the federal government’s attempt to end their strike, issuing a new strike notice and challenging a regulatory decision, leading to uncertainty about when freight services will be fully restored.

On Friday, Canadian National Railway (CN) trains began moving as workers started returning, but the Teamsters union also issued a 72-hour strike notice against CN that morning. At the same time, the union challenged Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon’s order for binding arbitration at Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). This arbitration is intended to break the impasse that has halted freight shipments and disrupted commuter trains.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board held meetings with the involved parties and is expected to make a decision soon. Meanwhile, picketing continued at CPKC’s Calgary headquarters, with Teamsters Canada president Francois Laporte and International Teamsters president Sean O’Brien showing support for the striking workers.

O’Brien criticized the rail companies’ lockouts, calling them “a disgrace,” and Laporte vowed that the fight is not over. Business groups had pressured the government to intervene due to the economic impact of the work stoppage, which led to the decision for arbitration.

However, the union feels this move undermines the collective bargaining process, arguing that it happened too quickly after the companies initiated the lockouts. The key issues are wages, scheduling, and workers’ rights around rest periods. CN claims the union is “holding Canada hostage” and insists their focus is on resuming operations, while the union continues its fight for fair treatment and safety.