Picketing commenced along N. Railway Street on Thursday for about 250 local members of Teamsters Rail Conference in Medicine before the federal government stepped in to order everyone back to work.--News photo Collin Gallant
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About 240 local railway workers were among 9,600 across the country who were locked off the job late Wednesday, then ordered back to work on Thursday afternoon.
That was after a day on the picket lines while Alberta cabinet members and business groups called for federal action to end the impasse.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said in the afternoon Thursday he will ask the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose final, binding arbitration in the dispute.
“Millions of Canadians rely on our railways every day,” MacKinnon said at a news conference, adding that he believes the collective bargaining process is the best way to resolve such disputes, but the lockout is affecting all Canadians.
“The impacts cannot be understated and they extend to every corner of this country.”
In 2015, a two-day strike at CPKC operations was similarly settled with back-to-work legislation, while strikes in 2018 and 2022 ended with a negotiated settlement within days of job action.
The lockout by Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National Railways took effect after talks with the Teamsters Rail Conference failed to reach agreement despite months of discussions, lockout warnings by the companies and a strike notice by the union.
The stoppage took effect simultaneously across the country at 10 p.m. local time.
On Thursday morning, affected workers took to the picket line outside the CPKC marshalling yard in Medicine Hat, marching up and down N. and S. Railway streets.
Ron Peters, president of Teamster Rail Conference Local No. 322 in Medicine Hat, told the News a main issue between the sides is how rest rules are being applied by the companies.
Safety and fatigue rules mandate the amount of time off between shifts, and rail workers say they should ensure required time off is provided at the employee’s home location, rather than sleeper units at out-of-town yards or hotels as determined by the railroads.
“(The union’s) bargaining committee is determined to see this fight to the end with the goal of achieving a fair and equitable agreement,” read a bulletin to union members from Teamsters national office early in the day.
“We are committed to ensuring a deal where rest at home and fair wage increases are achieved, without the loss of work rules, or the loss of income.”
News that service and shipping would be restored was welcomed by industry associations that argued a stoppage was estimated to cost the economy $1 billion per day in lost activity.
That included up to an estimated $63 million per day in the fertilizer sector, which represents producers like CF Industries.
Fertilizer Canada president Karen Proud said shippers were “deeply concerned that CN Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City could not reach agreements with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference , resulting in a dual rail stoppage,” she said.
“The federal government should have no higher priority than getting our railways moving.”
A joint statement from Premier Danielle Smith and ministers of transportation, jobs and agriculture warned a prolonged shutdown would cause bottlenecks and hurt ag producers.
“As harvest season begins and farmers look to get their product to market, the stoppage will affect not only those shipping agricultural products, it will hurt Canada’s standing as an important partner in global food security.
