CP Rail, union head to arbitration

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This article was published 22/03/2022 (1454 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After two days of uncertainty and tension, Canadian Pacific Railway has reached an agreement with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference train and engine negotiating committee to enter the binding arbitration process.

In the arbitration process, both parties agree to accept the arbitrator’s impartial decision as final. As a result, CP Rail workers in Westman and across the country returned to work at noon on Tuesday.

“This agreement enables us … to resume our essential services for our customers and the North American supply chain,” said CP Rail president and CEO Keith Creel.

The company will immediately begin working with customers to resume normal train operations across Canada as soon as possible, following that two-day work stoppage.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) union represents approximately 3,000 locomotive engineers, conductors, train and yard workers across Canada.

Earlier this week, many CP Rail workers in Brandon took to the picketing lines in front of their downtown rail office on Pacific Avenue.

“The decision to agree to final and binding arbitration is not taken lightly,” said Dave Fulton, union spokesperson at the bargaining table.

“While arbitration is not the preferred method, we were able to negotiate terms and conditions that were in the best interest of our members.”

Several workers on Sunday voiced their concerns over an update to their pension plan, an issue they believe had not been addressed since 2012. Wages, benefits and the ability to spend more time at home with family were also concerns expressed by members of the Teamsters union.

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan acknowledged both parties on Twitter, congratulating CP Rail and the union for staying at the table and coming to a resolution with the help of federal mediators.

“The outcome is further evidence that when employers and unions work together, we get the best results for Canadians and our economy,” O’Regan said in a later statement.

O’Regan vowed to remain in Calgary until an agreement was reached.

The minister indicated over the weekend that the government believed the best deal could be reached at the bargaining table, after industry groups had been pressuring Ottawa to introduce back-to-work legislation to end the work stoppage.

A report published by The Canadian Press on Tuesday found the arbitration process could take some time based on advice from a labour relations expert.

“Given the high profile of this company, the arbitration process will probably be fast-tracked, but we’re not talking days, we’re talking weeks,” said Robert Hickey, a labour and employment professor at Queen’s University.

CP Rail is well aware of the importance and need to manage labour relations and bring the dispute to a quick settlement, Hickey said.

“Labour relations is a key component of being a competitive player in this marketplace,” Hickey said.

The professor said he doesn’t think Teamsters will get everything the union wants, nor will CP Rail, noting the arbitration process can often leave both parties unsatisfied.

However, Hickey doesn’t believe this necessarily guarantees more strike action down the line.

“I don’t think this will create a secure path of continued conflict,” he said. “These two have an ongoing relationship that certainly has its share of disputes during contract renewal bargaining, but they also know how to reach settlements and get back to work.”

» jbernacki@brandonsun.com, with files from The Canadian Press

» Twitter: @JosephBernacki