Negotiations with CP at a standstill

Once again, the rail carrier is showing a lack of commitment in its negotiations with the Teamsters Union…

OTTAWA, Nov. 21, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Negotiations have stalled between the Teamsters Union, which represents some 3,800 Canadian Pacific (CP) locomotive engineers and conductors, and the rail carrier's management.

As a result, on Wednesday November 19, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) filed a mediation request with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

"The negotiations have stalled because we think the employer isn't committed," explains Doug Finnson, chief negotiator for the TCRC. "They want significant concessions, a dramatic increase in working hours out of each employee, provide less rest hours, and within an industry plagued by fatigue already."

The sticking point between the parties is still the question of how to manage worker fatigue.

"The main issue in these negotiations has nothing to do with wages or the pension plan," added the union representative. "We're insisting on fatigue management because we want to make sure our members - and the public - are as safe as possible."

The existing labour contract expires on December 31, 2014.

The Teamsters represents 115,000 members in Canada in all trades. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, has 1.4 million members in North America.

SOURCE: Teamsters Canada

Stéphane Lacroix, Communications Department, Telephone: [phone], Email: [email protected], Facebook.com/TeamstersCanada, Twitter.com/TeamstersCanada, teamsters.ca