The Teamsters launch a television ad campaign on rail safety

The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness among Canadians about the dangers of a self-regulated rail industry...

LAVAL, QC, Oct, 8, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Teamsters Canada is launching a television ad campaign on rail safety.

The Lac-Mégantic tragedy in July 2013 highlighted the importance of protecting the health and safety of the general public and of the 12,000 workers that the Teamsters represent in the industry.

"We want to send a clear message to the federal government: we need more inspectors on the track," explains Robert Bouvier, president of Teamsters Canada. "The conclusions of the investigation conducted by the Transportation Safety Board [TSB] on the Lac-Mégantic train derailment are clear in this regard."

We shall recall that TSB officials explained that the derailment was caused by 18 factors, namely the employer's safety violations and Transport Canada's inadequate control over the rail company's activities.

This report—just as the one released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)—clearly points the finger at self-regulation. By its very nature, this aberration—which is currently an industry standard—cannot protect the workers and the population's safety.

"There remains a lot to be done to ensure an optimal level of safety," adds the unionist. "The simplest and most effective solution would be to hire a greater number of inspectors to oversee the rail carriers' activities."

The campaign will air during hockey games on SportsNet, TSN, RDS and TVA Sports, over the coming weeks. The first broadcast will take place tonight on TVA Sports (French) during the Habs and Leafs game, and on SportsNet (English) during the Habs and Leafs and also during the Flames and Canucks games.

"We are going to continue putting pressure on the federal government. The utmost importance must once again by given to rail safety," concludes the union leader.

The advertisement will also be broadcasted tomorrow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Teamsters represents 120,000 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, Director of Communications of Teamsters Canada, Mobile: [phone], Office: 450 682-5521, ext. 236, Email: [email protected]