6 THE CAAR COMMUNICATOR RAIL TRANSPORTATION The TCRC proposed to stagger negotiations by two weeks, which would have minimized rail disruptions and reduced the economic impact felt by a simultaneous work stoppage at both railroad companies. However, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has said it would deliver an answer by August 9 to determine if some shipments must continue even during work stoppages. This question was first brought up on May 9, 2024, by Seamus O’Regan Jr., then Canadian Minister of Labour. His prescient question was actually raised two weeks before the initial worker vote, authorizing a strike for some future time. It should be noted that even though the TCRC has voted in favour of a strike, it has not voted about when they should strike. Federal law states, however, that should a vote to strike on a specific date happen, a 72-hour notice must be filed to initiate a strike by the workers or a lockout by the employees. That 72-hour window could be further extended if so ordered by the CIRB. In late May, CPKC asked the CIRB to extend the cooling-off period to 30 days after it issued its decision. For the CPKC, this extended time would allow its stakeholders to better plan for a work stoppage. As of the time of this writing (the last week of July 2024), the CN and CPKC railroad companies have demanded huge concessions with regard to crew scheduling, hours of work, and fatigue management. Needless to say, these demands by the railroads remain a thorny issue in furthering negotiations between the parties. It was why, on June 29, that the TCRC membership once again voted, but this time to reauthorize the potential of a labour strike at CN and CPKC. This time, voting saw 89.5 percent of the union membership take part, with 98.6 percent voting to reauthorize the strike, according to the TCRC. CN conductors, engineers, and yard workers voted 98.4 percent in favour of reauthorizing the strike, with a 90.1 percent turnout. CN had a lower turnout this time, but a higher percentage voted to strike. At CPKC, conductors, engineers, and yard workers voted 99.2 percent to reauthorize the strike, with a turnout of 88.6 percent. The railroad’s traffic controllers voted 95.7 percent to reauthorize, with a turnout of 88.5 percent. CPKC had a lower turnout and a lower vote to strike this time. Why strike? When it comes to why people anywhere are willing to strike, generally speaking, it often comes down to health and wealth, and not necessarily in that order. While there are always other factors involved, wealth—as in wages—and health—as in being overworked—are the two big concerns of the teamster railway workers. According to the Railway Association of Canada (RAC), a rash of worker a rash of worker shortages are at the backbone of what ails the Canadian railroad industry, just as a shortage of workers affects agriculture and the trucking transportation segment for both drivers and mechanics. The RAC has submitted a brief to the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities regarding anticipated labour shortages in the Canadian transportation sector. The RAC said that should the Government of Canada wish to support the railways of Canada, it could do so via 1) greater openness to new technologies, 2) changes to the Express Entry system, and 3) efforts to promote jobs in rail to new audiences. We should also point out that points one and three above are key to every sector in North America facing job insecurity issues. Point two—Express Entry—deals more with immigration, as it is Canada’s application management system for three immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program Railroad engineer injured in an accident at work on the railway tracks. C
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