‘Under no circumstances will Teamsters agree to the company offer,’ union says
By Kate Ayers
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Amidst Western Canadian farmers’ ongoing struggles with timely grain shipments, Canadian Pacific Railway workers will soon vote on their employer’s most recent offer.
The possibility of a strike is still on the table though, a Reuter’s article said yesterday.
Indeed, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) encouraged workers to reject CP’s contract offer, the article said. The union has already postponed a strike, which was planned for April 21.
“Under no circumstances will Teamsters agree to the company offer,” Christopher Monette, director of public affairs with Teamsters Canada, said to Farms.com in an email statement today.
“The offer does not address any of the problems at CP, and our members are angry with CP's abusive discipline-based management practices.”
If an agreement is not reached and CP is firm on its position, “workers will exercise their right to strike after 72 hours’ advance notice,” Monette said.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board will conduct an online and telephone vote between May 14 and 23. Results should be tallied on May 23.
During the ongoing labour dispute, grain transport continues to be an extreme challenge for Western Canadian farmers. Railways have been unable to meet shipment demands, leading to a transportation backlog. As a result, producers are unable to deliver grain and get paid.
Fortunately, Transport Minister Marc Garneau tabled a motion on Friday to make several amendments to Bill C-49, which would help provide farmers with a more balanced and accountable rail transport system. The bill could be discussed as early as next week.
Ag associations are urging the House to pass the amended bill as quickly as possible to ensure producers won’t have to deal with such inadequate rail service in the future.
Farms.com’s previous coverage on the CP strike can be found here.
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