Strike On: CP workers walk off the tracks
CALGARY — White collar CP rail managers have tool belts hanging from their waists today after the railway dispatched them to take over for 1,300 inspectors and maintenance workers that walked of the job.
The disruption — the second national rail strike in as many months — is likely to draw the ire of shippers and businesses if prolonged more than a week.
workers will affect operation is a big way
A strike deadline of 2:00 am EST this morning passed without an agreement between CP and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. The union ordered picket lines be set up across the country this morning.
CP Senior Vice President Brock Winter said the railway has deployed about 1,300 trained managers and other employees “to safely maintain its operations during a strike.”
Other contingencies, including hiring trucking carriers to take on some loads by highway, are also in the works. CP spokesman Mark Seland has said that he doesn’t expect the strike to impact daily business.
Union leader William Brehl contends the CP managers aren’t qualified to monitor and fix infrastructure, saying that only a few dozen of the supervisors are licenced technicians.
Brehl also warned CP that the company is putting the public in danger by not negotiating a settlement, citing a series of train derailments to accent his point.
In a communiqué to members, Brehl said there are no discussions with CP planned in the near future.
He also told members to not let “scabs” provoke them into violence or illegal action. “Anyone who breaks the law at a picket line runs the risk of having a court imposed injunction shut that line down,” he wrote.
The Teamsters are demanding a 13 percent wage increase over three years. CP offered a 10 percent hike over the same period, which it says is consistent with deals ratified by other CP unions.
Shippers have just recovered from a two-week strike by CN Rail workers in late February.
The strike affected billions in grain, coal, auto parts and other commodities.
The federal government finally stepped in with back-to-work legislation when workers refused to ratify a deal between the union and CN.
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