Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon is intervening to resolve the unprecedented lockout by the country’s two largest rail companies and get trains moving again.
He will utilize his authority under Section 107 of the Labour Code to request the Canada Industrial Relations Board to enforce final, binding arbitration.
Additionally, he has urged the board to mandate the railways to resume operations based on the current collective agreements until new agreements are established.
MacKinnon emphasizes that while the collective bargaining process primarily involves the companies and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union, the lockout’s impact extends to all Canadians.
Following contentious negotiations over several months, Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. ceased operations last night when talks collapsed.
Both railways have proposed binding arbitration, but the union has rejected these proposals.
Related Stories
