CP Rail


Back to work legislation has been tabled in the dispute between CP Rail and the Teamsters Union, after contract talks broke down over the weekend.

The federal government ordered an end to the strike by nearly 5,000 C-P Rail workers Monday. Workers had been without a contract since January and walked off the job last Wednesday in dispute of wages, longer working days and a proposed 40 per cent cut to pensions.

Canada's Labour Minister Lisa Raitt told the House of Commons that, simply put, "the strike can't go on, and the trains have to get running again." The grain and potash industries have been very vocal about getting the trains moving again, saying the strike was costing them millions of dollars a day.

Local Union Chair Bill Pitts says they will abide by the legislation but was hoping an agreement could be reached, without resorting to the federal government. "It's unfortunate, we wanted both sides to come to an agreement. As far as we're concerned, CP did not show up to the table in an honourable manner. They wanted us to be legislated back to work since the very get-go."

Industry officials say the strike has cost millions of dollars a day in unshipped cargo such as grain and potash.