CN, union spar over impact of strike on Canada's largest railroad

Even though roughly 750 workers walked off the job over the weekend, Canadian National Railway says there won't be any delays or disruptions. The union that led the walk out isn't sure.

The IBEW went on strike on June 18 after eight months of talks with the railroad. For the duration of the strike, the company is using contractors and managers to fill in for the workers and maintain a normal level of safe rail operations.

There is no interruption to service There was no delay. Jonathan Abecassis stated that everything is normal.

The IBEW questioned the railway's logic because there isn't enough cab labour to fill the gap.

Steve Martin is a spokesman for the IBEW. I don't think they can find enough contractors that can do the work that our members do. It's not even close.

At a time of high inflation and record employment, the two sides are at odds. Wage increases put upward pressure on prices; at the same time, the cost of living has been increasing faster than average wages for the better part of a year, making it harder for people to make ends meet. The consumer price index increased almost seven per cent in April from a year earlier, while the average hourly wage increased four per cent in May.

We would have never gone on strike if they actually offered us 10 per cent

Steve Martin

Robert Reilly said the railway offered the union a 10 per cent improvement to wages over three years, as well as extra mental health support and better scheduling. In a public letter to union members on June 20, Reilly said that they had met or exceeded all of the union's demands.

Reilly was accused of misrepresenting the railway's offer on wage increases. According to Martin, the company only offered eight per cent in permanent wage increases. He said that they wouldn't have gone on strike if they'd been offered 10 percent.

The Canadian railway industry has had two labour disputes this year, the first of which involved 3,000 staff. At a time when farmers depend on trains to deliver theirfertilizer ahead of the spring planting season, the dispute shut down the network for two days, causing panic. It could hurt crop yields in the Prairies and deliver another blow to the global supply of grains if farmers weren't able to get their urea in time.

The situation is not as bad as it was last time, according to Tom Steve. Grain stores from last year are mostly gone as the spring crop is planted. He said that they don't have much left to move.

Steve wondered if a normal level of safe operations would be possible during the strike. He said they would be curious to know what normal meant.

There were calls for the federal government to consider rail an essential service in order to avoid further labour disruptions.

"We've had far too many rail interruptions over the course of the last number of years and we are without a doubt reliant on that rail service."

Seamus O'Regan wasn't listening. He went to calgary to try and get the union to do a deal. He said that the workers in that industry are deprived of their rights when the service is deemed an essential service. I don't do that lightly.

The email address is jedmiston@postmedia.

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