CPKC union serves 72-hour strike notice

The union representing thousands of workers at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. says it has served a 72-hour strike notice to the railway.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference issued a press release saying unless the parties can reach a last-minute agreement, workers will be off the job as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Thursday. 

Not long after the union’s statement, CN Rail issued a notice that it intends to lock workers out at that same time unless an agreement or binding arbitration is achieved. 

The company says no meaningful progress has occurred despite weekend labour negotiations. 

Both CPKC and Canadian National Railway Co. have been halting shipments in preparation for potential work stoppages by a combined 9,300 workers at the two railways. 

On Thursday, federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon rejected a request from CN to impose binding arbitration, saying he wants the company to bargain in good faith. 

A spokesperson for CPKC referred The Canadian Press to previous statements. On Friday, the company said it’s committed to bargaining in good faith and reiterated a standing offer to resolve the matter through binding arbitration. 

CPKC previously served a lockout notice to the union for 12:01 a.m. Thursday. 

The union said it’s being forced to serve strike notice to the company to protect workers. 

On Sunday, about 10 hours before the union issued its statement about the strike notice, MacKinnon posted on X that the two rail companies were continuing to negotiate with the union alongside federal mediators. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2024