Over the weekend, more than 3,000 Teamsters went on strike against Canadian Pacific Railway after negotiations for a new contract broke down.
The strike, according to the New York Times, “is likely to disrupt major industries throughout North America, including automakers, oil companies, paper businesses, lumber suppliers and agriculture and mining companies.”
The strike, however, may be short-lived, according to the Star.com.
The federal government will introduce legislation to end a strike by more than 3,000 members of the Teamsters against Canadian Pacific Railway.
A government source tells The Canadian Press the legislation will be tabled Monday morning. A notice to allow for introduction of the bill was placed on the Commons order paper late Friday afternoon.
Kellie Leitch, Canada’s Minister of Labour, called the Teamsters’ strike action a “reckless disregard” for Canadians and the Canadian economy.
Canada’s Minister of Labour, Kellie Leitch, issued a strongly worded statement Sunday that blamed the union representing CP’s locomotive engineers and conductors for the breakdown in contract talks over the weekend, calling on its officials to abandon their strike and recommence negotiations with the company. Thousands of CP’s unionized workers walked off the job early Sunday in a legal strike after negotiations failed to produce a deal. Ms. Leitch, who personally intervened in the dispute, stressed the government would move swiftly to end the job action—a tack that it has increasingly taken to halt other labor disputes.
“Our Government is committed to protecting Canada’s economy during this time of global economic uncertainty,” said Ms. Leitch. “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,” she added.
On Sunday evening, the Teamsters took to Twitter to encourage supporters to contact Ms. Leitch
Contact kellie Leitch and let her know how you're feeling about her comments and the proposed legislation. http://t.co/g9HNAxGRcW
— Rail Conference (@TeamstersRail) February 16, 2015
Meanwhile, UNIFOR, the new union formed in 2013 following the merger of the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) is telliong its Twitter followers that the government should not get involved in collective bargaining and the right to strike.
Government should not interfere in free collective bargaining & the right to #strike! http://t.co/u0Siu0Pf7N @TeamstersRail #canlab
— Unifor Canada (@UniforTheUnion) February 15, 2015
“Among the points of contention is scheduling: the Teamsters say CP Rail is not willing or not able to meet agreements that stipulate workers must stop operating trains after 10 hours and rest.”
Your article neglected to explain what was motivating the strike. I suspect it is because the editors and writers at Labor Union Report believe that a strike is never justified.
You’re suspicion is suspect.
Frankly, if a group of workers chooses to withhold their labor and forego income, that is their right.
Whether or not that decision is right or wrong is for others to draw their own conclusion.