Canadian Railroads > Mining Exec: "CN strike will lead to thousands of layoffs"

The strike "will result in a severe reduction or elimination of railway capacity and will trigger the closure of mines with concurrent lay-offs of thousands of employees beginning in a matter of days," Mining Association of Canada president Pierre Gratton said today. Members of the association include companies mining oil sands, coking coal, metals and industrial minerals.

https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2018347-cn-rail-workers-strike-may-close-mines

I doubt the government will let the strike go on for very long, especially if it starts to impact Quebec.

 

Will MacKenzie
Dundas, ON

I agree Will, as well as Quebec Trudeau won't want the west belltaching about grain, oil and coal !.

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON

Now for some good news; Nos One and Two are on time this morning.

Chris Rye

Does Canadian labor law allow a company that has been struck to begin hiring non-union replacement workers?? If yes, under what rules.

   Ross Rowland 

CN was hauling about 180,000 barrels per day.  I think that converts to about 250-275 rail tanker loads, and an equal number of empties.

 

co614 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does Canadian labor law allow a company that has
> been struck to begin hiring non-union replacement
> workers?? If yes, under what rules.
>
>    Ross Rowland 

Railways which cross Provincial Boundaries are governed by the Canada Labour Code.

The only recent replacement worker incident under the Canada Code was the On Board Service Attendants on Rocky Mountaineer. In that instance, the employees voted to decertify one union, and the employers chose not to recognize another.

Further back, in the 1960's , a maritime union that had been infiltrated by organized crime was replaced by a Canadian union.

The current representation of CN train crew members by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters , Canadian Rail Conference was as a result of a run off election between the IBT and the UTU , which the UTU lost.

The Canada Labour Code is a public document available on the internet, including shortcuts, and question and answers.

I met a Federal mediator who delivered a seminar on railway negotiations. Ninety three percent of all railway collective agreements are successfully negotiated between the railways and the unions, another couple of percent are mediated. Less than five percent result in legislation back to work. Although railway strikes are high profile, the industry as a whole has a good record in negotiations.

He noted that CP,CN and Via have very distinct corporate cultures when it comes to labour relations
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/19 12:52 by eminence_grise.

co614 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does Canadian labor law allow a company that has
> been struck to begin hiring non-union replacement
> workers?? If yes, under what rules.
>
>    Ross Rowland 

nope
 

Will MacKenzie
Dundas, ON

Will CP be able to handle any of CN's business while CN is on strike (eg, intermodal)? Are any CN trains in Canada moving by management personnel?

How has Via Rail responded to the strike?