Canadian rail union files lawsuits challenging back-to-work orders
The Teamsters union that represents workers at both of Canada's largest freight railroads has filed the lawsuits it promised challenging the orders that forced employees back to work and got the trains moving again
The union that represents workers at both of Canada's largest freight railroads has filed the lawsuits it had promised challenging the orders that forced employees back to work and got the trains moving again, the union announced Friday.
The lawsuits were filed Thursday afternoon, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference said. But they won’t stop the trains because the government has ordered the union to stay on the job while the arbitration process plays out.
“The right to collectively bargain is a constitutional guarantee. Without it, unions lose leverage to negotiate better wages and safer working conditions for all Canadians,” the union’s president, Paul Boucher, said Friday. “We are confident that the law is on our side, and that workers will have their voices heard.”
One of the railroads, CPKC, declined to comment. A spokesperson for the other railroad, Canadian National, said, “CN would have preferred a negotiated settlement. However, after nine months of attempting to reach a settlement, it was evident that the Teamsters were not looking for a resolution and were happy to keep applying pressure by inflicting damage to the Canadian economy.”
