Trudeau Calls on Railway Companies, Union to Reach Deal to Avoid Shutdown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for Canada’s two major railway companies and the union representing their 9,300 employees to come to an agreement, saying a shutdown would harm millions of Canadians.
“This is an issue that we are following extremely closely and moving forward on in every way we can,” Trudeau told reporters in Outaouais, Que., on Aug. 21.
“It is in the best interest of both sides to continue doing the hard work at the table to find a negotiated resolution. Millions of Canadian workers, farmers, and businesses right across the country are counting on both sides to do the work and get to a resolution.”
The Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) are close to locking out thousands of workers as they continue with labour negotiations. Canada’s first-ever simultaneous work stoppage at its largest rail companies will begin Aug. 22 if a deal is not reached between the companies and the Teamsters Union.
According to the Railway Association of Canada, which has called for the federal government to prevent a rail stoppage alongside several other business groups, the two rail companies haul a combined $1 billion in goods per day across the country. More than 32,000 rail commuters in Canada would also be forced to find new routes if there is a lock out or strike.
The union has issued a notice of strike that would see CPKC workers walk off the job as of 12:01 a.m. ET on Aug. 22
“I want to take the opportunity that your question presents to say to the parties, to say to the companies, to say to the union, we are expecting you to work really, really hard to negotiate in good faith, to negotiate with real energy and intensity, and to get a deal done,” she said.
When asked about Ottawa’s contingency plans for a general strike, Freeland said federal Labour Minister Steve McKinnon has been coordinating with the two sides to help them reach a deal.
“We know that the best deals are reached at the bargaining table, and I am calling with extreme seriousness on the employers, and on the union, to roll up their sleeves to get a deal done,” she said.