Talks to end a strike by thousands of workers at Canada’s biggest railroad, Canadian National Railway Co, continue, as industrial plants slowed output of products cut off from their markets.
About 3,000 unionized workers, including conductors and yard workers, hit picket lines on Tuesday after talks with management failed to resolve contract issues amid softening demand for freight service. Negotiations in Montreal were ongoing, Teamsters union spokesman Christopher Monette said.
The union’s concerns centre on fatigue, safety and ensuring that workers’ breaks are not reduced.
Western Canada, one of the world’s biggest exporters of farm products, relies on CN and Canadian Pacific Railway to move crops, potash, coal and manufactured goods to ports and the United States.
In a letter to employees on Wednesday that was seen by Reuters, CN denied union arguments that the “strike was about safety.”
“We offered the union a solution to address its concerns,” said the letter dated Wednesday from CN Chief Operating Officer Rob Reilly.
A CN spokesman said the railway was committed to negotiations.
The Teamsters said it had pushed back against CN’s efforts to limit the time off that members get in a current contract.
(Reuters)
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