CN and Union Talks Derail
Friday, October 18, 2013 @ 4:00 AM
Prince George, B.C. – The federal Government is keeping a close watch on the labour dispute between CN and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents 3,300 conductors, trainmen, yardmen and traffic co-ordinators.
The two sides are supposed to get back to the bargaining table on Monday with government-appointed mediators.
The union says contract talks broke down a week ago after CN rejected their last offer and refused to extend the mediation period.
The union has indicated that a strike, or lockout could happen as early as October 29th.
The last contract expired July 22nd.
In a statement issued to the media, the union says wages and the retirement plan are not key issues in this round of talks. The union says the key issue would see CN workers putting in more hours with less rest time between trips.
Two previous labour disputes at CN ( 2007 and again in 2009) have ended when back to work legislation was passed.
Comments
If there is a strike, would that affect contract workers dealing with the CN buildings?
Only if they won’t cross the picket line I would think.
CN is going to make 3 billion in profit this year and they want the Conductors who are already working up to 80 hrs a week to work more and rest less. All this because they cant retain new hires. They cant figure out why new employees making a $100,000+ a year would quit. Right now 4 out of 5 new employees quits after being trained as a Conductor.
They’ve also been losing trainmasters, at least 3 last fall/winter that I know of. Could be more by now. Pay isn’t everything and they need to realize that.
Interesting information coastb and peegee. I guess when Corporations and Business has it’s way their employees virtually live their whole waking lives working for those Corporations and Businesses. No time for family, no time for personal hobbies or pursuits, no time for “living life”.
If this labour dispute moves to strike action, just watch the Harper Government pass back to work legislation for this important Big Oil & Gas transportation corporation!
Business first, “people” last every time!!!
Absolutely right. It is not always about pay. If CN is having employee retention issues as some allege, they should deal with them. Any business will realize if they can’t keep their employees, they won’t be able to meet their customer’s needs and everybody loses.
Anybody know where I can apply for a job?
CN website has a section “careers” do your online application there.
If you can have a pulse and can pee in a bottle and pass, consider yourself hired.
The gap between CN and its employees is astonishing from what Ive seen. Ive never seen a group of people hate their employer the way the CN guys I know hate CN. conversely, CN treats their guys like crap for the same reasons – Im not laying blame on either side, there is zero respect there. The sense of entitlement is balanced by complete contemp.
High turnover of train operators / conductors = a steady stream of newbie train operators / conductors. Add lack of respect, and probably communication, between management and employees.
Sounds like a recipe for train derailments, accidents, injuries and deaths. Hmm… and this is the train company that will be delivering all that combustable fossil fuel (oil) through BC if the pipeline doesn’t go through?
Well, ( in case of a strike ) I sure don’t want management running the trains. Remember the derailed tank car on fire across from Ft. George Park about 5 years ago ? That was a young no-it-all manager showing a train crew how to switch cars more efficiently.
People: “Sounds like a recipe for train derailments, accidents, injuries and deaths. Hmm… and this is the train company that will be delivering all that combustable fossil fuel (oil) through BC if the pipeline doesn’t go through?”
All the more reason to make sure the pipeline does happen. Good point, People#1.
the sooner big daddy realizes that bad attitudes just don’t emerge out of thin air that they are created, both sides will become more transparent and open to running a far more efficient operation money wont buy you happiness. good Friday to all.
Yeah right JB… choose a oil transportation company to build and operate a pipeline, who the Chairperson of the USA National Transportation Safety Board, described as the “Keystone Kops”?
Or; choose multiple Lac-Magantic train oil tanker transportation scenarios. Wow, you and heir Harper are really giving us some excellent choices…. hmm… how about we just say “NO” to both? Why should we take all the environmental and human safety risks for transporting and shipping Alberta’s oil to China?
What a farcical change in tactics, give us a choice because we are not allowed to just say “No” to Alberta’s oil being moved through BC and onto our coast.
Sorry JB and Heir Harper, we live in a democratic society and some of us, even a majority of us, are still allowed to say NO to both forms of risky transportation!
Be careful JB and Heir Harper, when you will not take “NO” for an answer, like all RAPIST’S do, don’t be surprise when you get a more resistive response!
Sorry, I forgot to add “/DICTATOR’S”, because dictators won’t take “NO” for an answer as well. My apologies.
The unfortunate reality People#1 that you refuse to acknowledge or accept is that Canada’s economy relies heavily on resource extraction directly and indirectly. That won’t be changing anytime soon.
To continue to enjoy the standard of living you take for granted, those resources must be transported and sold… one way or the other.
But feel free to go on making your silly Hitler analogies.
When I worked at CN, I enjoyed the job and the employer. My frustration there was with the Enginemen(Hoggers) and Conductors. They were the biggest whiners looking for more pay for less work, looking at how to finagles more miles.
Good company if you weren’t looking for a free handout.
What you remember from the past has no relevance to the current work environment at CN.
coastb is correct. Things have changed dramatically since CN Rail was privatized, and is now run by the Americans out of Chicago, with a puppet management system in Montreal.
The new CN Management reduced maintenance, increased train lengths, and treated their employee’s badly. The chickens have now come home to roost. Lots of jobs available in the Country, and those companies that held their employee’s in low esteem are now going to pay for it.
The billions of dollars in profit’s go to the share holders, (mainly American) and the railway continues to go cheap on maintenance.
You reap what you sow.
Every Federal Government, Liberal, or Conservative over the past years, have passed legislation forcing rail employee’s back to work. This usually happens after the first 5 or 6 days of a strike. It will be no different this time.
To try to attach some blame for this situation on Harper, shows that some people have little or no knowledge of past history of railroading in this Country.
Anyone who may want a good read on today’s management styles of such companies should read “Art of war”….things wont change..rule by fear..just saying.
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