CP worker strike derails

The Class I railway on Friday tendered final offers to the bargaining committees of two unions to renew collective agreements, averting potential strikes that were scheduled to kick in Saturday.    Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. on Friday tendered final offers to the bargaining committees of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference-Train & Engine (TCRC) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to renew collective agreements.
   Consequently, the potential work stoppage that would have taken effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday did not occur.
   “On the advice of federal mediators and with the cooperation of all parties involved, I will be asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to administer a vote on the latest offers the members of the affected bargaining units have received from CP,” said Patty Hajdu, Canada’s minister of employment, workforce development and labour. “This is the next step in the process and will occur pursuant to Section 108.1 of the Canada Labour Code.”
   It is not yet known when the vote will occur, the TCRC said, adding the strike notice is withdrawn until the CIRB vote is complete, at which time all of the unions’ rights to strike are still in force.
   CP, which reported its first-quarter 2018 earnings last week, said it has approximately 3,000 conductors and engineers represented by the TCRC and about 360 signal maintainers that are represented by the IBEW.
   Although the TCRC said the unions will not release specific details of the company offers until workers have had a chance to review them, it said the offers do not satisfy workers’ concerns on fatigue and wages.
   Both unions strongly recommend their members reject the company offers, the TCRC said.