Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has rejected a request from Canadian National Railway Co. for binding arbitration as the clock ticks down to a potential lockout of its employees.
MacKinnon says he wants to make it clear that he expects CN Rail and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference to negotiate in good faith, adding that federal mediators remain available to help the process along.
CN Rail has threatened to lock out employees as early as Aug. 22 if it can’t come to an agreement with the union on issues such as scheduling and wages. The union, which represents 9,300 conductors, engineers and yard workers, is simultaneously holding labour talks with Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.
The union says the only way forward is for the rail companies to back down on their demands for concessions.
Meanwhile, CN Rail says the union needs to engage meaningfully at the bargaining table and that the union has rejected four contract offers this year without proposing a counter offer.
Both CN Rail and CPKC have begun halting shipments of certain goods including hazardous materials to ensure they don’t become stranded on the tracks in the event of a work stoppage.
