Teamsters members hit the picket line in Revelstoke after Saturday midnight deadline came and went without an agreement between rail workers and Canadian Pacific Railway.
In Revelstoke, striking workers set up a picket line on Saturday evening in the main CP Rail yard parking lot off Victoria Avenue.
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference president Douglas Finnison outlined his members’ reasons for striking in a statement.
“We are on strike to overcome the culture of fear initiated by CP management, to achieve a healthy and safe work environment for the working people, and to introduce effective and progressive fatigue countermeasures within our workplace without diminishing the collective agreement,” Finnison said.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and CP Rail issued duelling media statements after negotiations broke down.
They were joined by Minister of Labour and Minster of Status of Women Kellie Leitch, who blamed this strike on the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) and alluded to a legislated end to the strike when she said the federal government will “review all available options to end any work-stoppage expediently.”
CP Rail indicated its intention to keep the trains running on a limited basis using management and other staff.
The TCRC raised concern that workers from the United States were being imported to run trains during the strike.
Here are the competing statements from the three main players in the dispute:
Feb. 15 media statement from Teamsters Canada Rail Conference:
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) has announced the negotiations process at Canadian Pacific (CP) has failed and there is no agreement reached with the employer’s management team. Effective 0001, February 15 the TCRC membership is officially on legal strike across Canada. Despite the efforts of Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) to assist the parties to achieve a negotiated agreement, negotiations ended tonight.
“Late tonight it was revealed how severe the concessionary demands of the employer really are,” indicated TCRC President Douglas Finnson. “Less than two hours before the expiration of the cooling off period, the final package of concessions amounted to much the same thing as the hourly agreement this same management team tried to impose on our Brothers and Sisters at Canadian National (CN) in 2007. Those tactics resulted in a National Rail Strike at CN then, and unfortunately have done so again today at CP.”
“Picket lines are now being set up across Canada and the rail shut down is happening,” said President Finnson.
A particularly sensitive situation is the announcement by CP to use other workers to run trains. “During our final discussions tonight we explained to CP Chief Operating Officer, Keith Creel, that we had received reports of American citizens being transported into Winnipeg to perform the work of our Canadian members. Mr. Creel committed to making certain that did not happen and would correct anything like that which has already happened,” explained Finnson.
Despite the complete breakdown of bargaining tonight, the TCRC negotiating committee advised FMCS and the CP chief negotiator they remain available to negotiate an acceptable agreement.
“We are on strike to overcome the culture of fear initiated by CP management, to achieve a healthy and safe work environment for the working people, and to introduce effective and progressive fatigue countermeasures within our workplace without diminishing the collective agreement,” concluded the union leader.
Feb. 14 media statement from CP Rail:
Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is disappointed to announce that negotiations with Teamsters Canada Rail Conference-Running Trades (TCRC) have broken down without an agreement. As a result, the TCRC have indicated they will strike as of 12:01 a.m. on February 15, 2015. TCRC represents CP’s approximately 3,000 active locomotive engineers and conductors.
CP proposed thoughtful, compelling and fair options including wage increases and improved benefit plans. Furthermore, CP proposed changes to work schedules to improve the quality of life for engineers and conductors. TCRC leadership claims that lack of time off is at the heart of its reluctance to negotiate, yet 72 percent of all engineers and conductors do not take the time off they are entitled to. Furthermore, 60 percent of the conductors and engineers at CP make between $80,000 and $160,000, while working an average of 31 to 35 hours a week.
“We have wanted to make a deal for more than a year, and have been presenting the TCRC leadership with dynamic options and choices to improve the quality of life for employees while driving efficiencies in our business,” said E. Hunter Harrison, CP’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our conductors and engineers have plenty of options for time off, but the vast majority don’t take full advantage of those opportunities. We want to implement a model that allows us to properly schedule crews while maintaining the highest standards of safe railroading.”
While CP would have preferred a negotiated settlement, at the urging of the Minister of Labour, the railroad agreed to immediate mediation and arbitration to avoid a work disruption. Unfortunately, the TCRC did not agree.
“Strikes have serious and lasting impacts on individuals, families, communities and the overall economy,” Mr. Harrison said. “While we are disappointed with where we are and the timing of this strike – during a downturn in the Canadian economy – we will continue to forge ahead. I want to personally thank the Minister of Labour, Kellie Leitch, and the federal mediation service for their hard work in trying to break this logjam.”
CP will implement its extensive contingency plan by deploying qualified management employees to operate reduced freight service on its Canadian network. CP is working with its customers to advise them as to how this work stoppage will affect them. Customers should contact their account managers and CPs customer station for information about shipments.
On February 14, CP announced a tentative four-year agreement with its Unifor employees. Details of the tentative agreement are being withheld pending ratification by the Unifor membership.
Feb. 15 media statement from Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Canada’s Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women:
I am incredibly disappointed that the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) failed to reach an agreement with CP.
I have personally intervened in my capacity as Labour Minister and our Government’s Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has been working with both sides for months. After securing a commitment from CP, the employer, to send the remaining issues to voluntary arbitration, I find it incredibly frustrating that the union continually stifled progress for both parties.
Following the successful negotiation of agreements with the Canadian National Railway (CN) and the TCRC, and CP and Unifor, an agreement that would prevent a costly and damaging work-stoppage has not been achieved by CP and the TCRC. I encourage the TCRC to reach an agreement with CP to end this labour dispute and to protect Canada’s economy.
I encourage the TCRC to consider the impact of their dispute on the Canadian public, including those commuters in Montreal who will be affected by a work stoppage, and to cease all strike action and immediately return to the negotiating table.
Our Government is committed to protecting Canada’s economy during this time of global economic uncertainty. Due to this reckless disregard for Canadians, and the Canadian economy, our Government will review all available options to end any work-stoppage expediently, up to and including the introduction of legislation in Parliament.”
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