- In Canada, freight transport by rail has come to a complete standstill.
- The reason for this is a labour dispute: the two largest Canadian railway companies and the unions have not yet been able to reach an agreement.
- This also disrupts rail freight traffic between Canada and the USA – goods worth several billion dollars are transported by train between the two countries every month.
Canada is experiencing an unprecedented simultaneous shutdown of its two main freight rail operators, which could cause billions of dollars in economic damage. The two rail operators, Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), are currently holding separate talks with the Teamsters union, which represents more than 9,000 workers, including train drivers, conductors, conductors and shunting workers, as well as dispatchers.
Caption: The freight trains of Canada’s two largest companies are at a standstill. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP
Both railroads have said they will end the lockout if the union agrees to binding arbitration. In a post on X, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference President Paul Boucher accused CPKC and CN of “holding the Canadian economy hostage” to pressure the government to force binding arbitration.
Both rail companies are offering wage increases for the already well-paid jobs, which they say are consistent with other recent deals in the industry.
The negotiations focus primarily on issues related to employees’ work schedules and concerns about the rules designed to prevent fatigue among train staff.
