A labour dispute at both Canadian National and CPKC threatens to derail not only Peretz’s business, but the scores of manufacturers he supplies in a complex, just-in-time supply chain. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has said the lockout could be devastating for small businesses that depend on rail service.
Railways carry more than $1 billion worth of goods each day, according to the Railway Association of Canada, and over half of the country’s exports travel by rail.
Contract talks between the Teamsters union and the companies usually take place a year apart, but in 2022, after the federal government introduced new rules, CN requested a year-long extension to its existing deal rather than negotiate a new one.
This meant both companies’ labour agreements expired at the end of 2023 and talks have been ongoing since.
Glad the government refused to arbitrate at this point, and glad rail workers were deemed non-essential by the CIRB, meaning they can strike.
CN has been pulling in crazy profits, and is greedy and doesn’t want to share. They posted a net income increase of ~500mil last year.
CN leadership 2022 - Hey, the feds have these new rules on fatigue and we need time to figure out how to bypass them. Let’s defer contract negotiations for a year.
CN leadership 2024 - Hey Trudeau, we need you to intervene in contract negotiations to force workers to keep making us money. For the good of the country, ofc.
It seems CN hierarchy is chock full of arrogant dumbfucks.
Are there any companies these days that aren’t?
Well I suppose they’ll support the demands of the workers then.
Yup, CN could double or triple what workers are asking for, and it would barely make a blip in their income.
Just like everyone supports teachers and nurses?
Glowing heart in the window not enough?
