CN Backtracks on Planned Work Changes

Friday, October 01, 2010 11:03 AM

Prince George, B.C.- CN has backtracked on a plan to bring in work scheduling changes for 2,700 employees.

The railway says changes it had hoped to bring on Monday are on hold while it tries to work out a new agreement with the Union.

The Teamsters Rail Conference, was to take a look at a new work scheduling plan today.

Contract talks for the 2.700 employees started in May, and the workers have been without a contract since July 22^nd. The union is in a position to issue 72 hour strike notice but has said it doesn’t want to do that.

Initiatives Prince George has written a letter to the Federal Minister of Labour asking her to act expeditiously to avert any disruption in rail traffic. The letter from IPG says a strike at this time could cause severe damage to a fragile economy especially those companies which rely on rail to get products to customers, particularly those companies which need to move natural resources to ports or distribution centres..

One of those customers in Canfor, which says it has a contingency plan.. Trucking arrangements have been made to move the loads if necessary.

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