Arbitrator tabbed for CPKC-TCRC rail contract talks

No schedule set for bargaining

There is progress in contract negotiations between Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and its largest union.

Teamsters Canada Rail Conference says the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has appointed William Kaplan as the arbitrator in its collective bargaining with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (NYSE: CP).

Kaplan is also serving as arbitrator for the TCRC’s contract negotiations with Canadian National, the union said in a news release Thursday. 

A schedule has not been set for mediation.

A spokesman for CPKC said the company is engaged in the process but had no other update.

On Tuesday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) said it does not have the authority to overrule Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon, who ended the lockout of 9,300 CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) union employees on Aug. 22 and sent the contract dispute to binding arbitration.

The union had challenged the board’s initial decision in court.

The CIRB order keeps the current collective agreement in place until there is a new contract, and bars a strike or lockout.

Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

Related coverage:

New contract in sight for CN, Teamsters

Union Pacific Q3 earnings: First look

CPKC Q3 earnings: First look

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Stuart Chirls

Stuart Chirls is a journalist who has covered the full breadth of railroads, intermodal, container shipping, ports, supply chain and logistics for Railway Age, the Journal of Commerce and IANA. He has also staffed at S&P, McGraw-Hill, United Business Media, Advance Media, Tribune Co., The New York Times Co., and worked in supply chain with BASF, the world's largest chemical producer. Reach him at stuartchirls@firecrown.com.