CN Locomotive Engineers Forced to Initiate Strike Action
"Canadian National Railways has forced us to serve strike notice after they informed us of unilateral change the terms and conditions of the Collective Agreement effectively locking out our members"
The decision to service strike notice came after CN notified the Union they planned to arbitrarily alter the terms and conditions of the working conditions for approximately 1700 locomotive engineers.
CN advised the TCRC that it plans to incorporate a 1.5% wage increase coupled with the requirement to have locomotive engineers work an additional 500 miles per month over the amount required by the present Collective Agreement. This change would require some of locomotive engineer to work 7 days a week with no time off and cause layoffs within the ranks of the conductors, trainmen and yardmen.
The parties have been assisted by Federal Mediators since August in the hope of renewing their Collective Agreement, which expired on
"Canadian National Railways has forced us to service strike notice after they informed us of the unilateral change to the terms and conditions of the Collective Agreement effectively locking out our members" said Daniel J. Shewchuk President of Teamsters
"As advised by the company, these changes are the tip of the iceberg and we cannot sit idly by while CN simply changes the terms and conditions of the Collective Agreement. Our members deserve much better than that." said Shewchuk.
The TCRC is also in the process of filing a complaint of bargaining in bad faith against CN as the situation continues to deteriorate.
Teamsters
For further information: Daniel J. Shewchuk, President, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, (780) 720-9008, www.teamstersrail.ca
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