Montreal – From CN media release. CN has been served with a 72-hour strike notice by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). The Teamsters intend to strike as of 10:00 AM ET on Monday, August 26, 2024.
This on the heels of what was thought to be the end of a lockout from CN and Ottawa initiating Collective Bargaining.
CN rolls through the Fraser Valley on the south side of the river, through Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
CN proactively ended the lockout of the Teamsters on August 22, following the Minister of Labour’s direction to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to impose binding arbitration between both parties.
While CN is focused on its recovery plan to get back to powering the economy, the Teamsters are focused on returning to the picket line and shutting down the economy, impacting people and jobs across the country.
Over the last nine months, CN has negotiated in good faith. The Company consistently proposed serious offers, with better pay, improved rest, and more predictable schedules.
This latest development confirms that the Teamsters never took negotiations seriously and that they had no desire to reach a deal.
The impacts of this notice will depend on the timing of the CIRB. It is in the national interest of Canada that the CIRB rule quickly, before even more harm is caused.
Current Rest and Wages
Wages:
- In 2023, the average conductor earned approximately $121,000, not including pension and medical benefits.
- In 2023, the average locomotive engineer earned approximately $150,000, not including pension and medical benefits.
Rest:
- By combining Duty and Rest Period Rules (DRPR), paid sick days, personal leave days, and existing rest and vacation provisions in their collective agreements, conductors and locomotive engineers currently work approximately 160 days a year.
Background on 2024 Negotiations and Offers
In January, CN offered the TCRC a modernized agreement that improved safety, wages, and work/life balance while protecting acquired rights. This offer was refused.
The offer was then improved in April with a focus on better wages (75$/hour for Locomotive Engineers and 65$/hour for Conductors), job security, and guaranteed earnings for employees. The TCRC refused the improved offer.
In May, CN then presented a simplified offer within the framework of the existing collective agreement with improved wages and predictable days off, which the TCRC also refused.
In the absence of a path forward, CN offered to voluntarily submit to binding arbitration in June. Binding arbitration is a process where both parties empower a mutually agreed upon independent arbitrator to determine the terms of a settlement. It is an impartial approach that would achieve a resolution while avoiding a costly disruption to supply chains, Canadian consumers, and the Canadian economy. The TCRC refused this offer.
All of the information regarding the offers, including details on the proposed wages, rest, and labour availability, is available publicly here.
