CP Rail sets employee lock-out date for Sunday
March 17, 2022CP Rail confirmed Thursday it had issued a 72-hour notice of its plan to lock-out employees with Teamsters Canada Rail Conference at 00:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 20, 2022 if a settlement is not reached. Read the full statement from CP Rail here or read below.
“CP has issued 72-hour notice to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) of its plan to lock-out employees at 00:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 20, 2022 if the union leadership and the company are unable to come to a negotiated settlement. The TCRC represents approximately 3,000 locomotive engineers, conductors, train and yard workers across Canada.
CP took this undesirable step because we cannot prolong the uncertainty associated with a potential strike for weeks or months. Since Sunday, TCRC has been in a position to issue a 72-hour strike notice, introducing uncertainty into the supply chain that is already being felt. We take this action today to bring that uncertainty to an end. Delaying resolution of this situation would only make things worse.
The world needs Canada’s resources and an efficient transportation system to deliver them more than ever. This need will only increase as we move forward, placing even more importance on a reliable supply chain, not less.
Having negotiated in good faith since September, we are deeply disappointed that we find ourselves in this position. Yesterday CP tabled an offer that addressed a total of 26 outstanding issues between the parties, including an offer to resolve the TCRC’s key issues, wages, benefits and pensions through final and binding arbitration.
On Wednesday, the TCRC leadership rejected CP’s offer and, contrary to public statements by TCRC spokesman Dave Fulton that wages, benefits and pensions were the key issues, the union continues to table new work rule demands. In rejecting our offer, the TCRC’s proposal included an even more onerous pension demand. The TCRC’s latest position would, if accepted, be even more destabilizing to CP’s Defined Benefit Pension Plan the pension plan for all of CP’s unionized employees, not just the 10% who are TCRC members.
CP will continue to bargain in good faith with the TCRC leadership to achieve a negotiated settlement or agreement to enter arbitration. The Canadian economy could avoid all the pain and damage of a work stoppage if the TCRC would agree to binding arbitration, an outcome we continue to push for.
At the same time, CP has commenced its work stoppage contingency plan and will work closely with customers to ensure a smooth, efficient and safe wind-down of Canadian operations.”
