The Canada Industrial Relations Board on Saturday ordered Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City to resume operations Monday.
The board in its ruling ordered final binding arbitration between the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and the country’s main rail carriers while extending the term of the labor agreement that expired at the end of last year until the parties can complete new contracts. The union and railroad representatives are scheduled to meet with the board again Aug. 29.
The board’s order on Saturday also prevents further labor disruption through a work stoppage or lockout, voiding the union’s strike notice issued to Canadian National on Friday.
However, the decision by the board may not represent an end to the labor turmoil that brought operations at Canadian National and CPKC to a standstill Thursday, when both companies locked out union workers.
Teamsters spokesman Christopher Monette in an emailed statement to Supply Chain Dive said the union will comply with the board’s decision but plans to appeal the order in federal court.
Saturday’s board decision followed a series of meetings that began Thursday between regulators, the union and representatives for Canadian National and CPKC after Canada’s Minister of Labour and Seniors Steven MacKinnon directed the panel to impose final binding arbitration.
MacKinnon had met with the union and railroad representatives in the days leading up to Thursday’s work stoppage, and in his order urged the parties to complete new labor agreements to avoid service disruption of Canada’s main railroads.
Following MacKinnon’s announcement, Canadian National and CPKC announced plans to resume operations pending board action. At that time, Canadian National ended its lockout of its more than 6,000 union workers, but the work stoppage at CPKC continued.
After Canadian National ended its lockout, the union served the rail carrier with a 72-hour strike notice, which would have taken effect Monday.
Canadian National in an emailed statement said it will comply with the board’s order and is “focused on safely getting goods moving again, as efficiently as possible.”
CPKC said in an emailed statement that it also would follow the board’s order and end its lockout of its nearly 3,300 union workers. The rail carrier also requested union workers return to work for day shift on Sunday.
