CN work stoppage looms after talks hit impasse
TORONTO — A potential labour disruption could be looming at Canadian National Railway Co. after the country’s largest railway decided to unilaterally impose contract changes on 1,700 of its engineers following 14 months of failed contract negotiations with their union.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents the engineers, said it is consulting with its lawyers to determine whether the move is tantamount to a lock-out because it essentially dictates the company’s terms outside of bargaining, said Daniel Shewchuk, the union’s president.
“This could be considered a lock-out,” Mr. Shewchuk said in an interview, adding that the union would consider a strike otherwise. “We can’t just sit idly by and have the company arbitrarily change the terms and working conditions of our members at will.”
A strike could come as soon as this weekend. While CN said it is too early to determine whether such a disruption would shut down much of its rail service, an engineer is considered an essential part of running a train.
