Breaking news: Rail strike could begin as early as August 22 following CIRB ruling on essential services

Update, August 14, 2024

In anticipation of a possible work stoppage, Canada’s two national railways have issued the following notices.

Canadian National (CN) railway:

CN has embargoed all Rail Security Sensitive Materials (RSSM), Poison Inhalation Hazard (PIH), Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH), and other time-sensitive commodities coming into Canada from the USA, effective August 12.
An additional embargo on these commodities from within Canada will take effect on August 15.
CN will restrict ingates for all temperature-controlled Intermodal traffic and Intermodal Hazmat traffic across its network starting August 15.
An embargo on all Intermodal interchange traffic from the US coming to Canada will take effect on August 16.
Get the latest information on embargos at the CN’s Bargaining Updates page.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC):

A formal lockout notice has been given to the union (TCRC). Should an agreement not be reached, the CPKC rail network will shut down at just past midnight Eastern Time on August 22. Additionally, CPKC has already begun embargoes on freight classified as toxic or poisonous inhalation hazards. Please find the latest information on CPKC’s update page.

Posted August 9, 2024: The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ruled today that a work stoppage at Canada’s two national railways would not cause an immediate threat to public health and safety, clearing the way for a possible strike as early as August 22.

“Today, the Canada Industrial Relations Board ruled that no activities need to be maintained in the event of a strike or lockout at CN or CPKC,” Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a statement. “The CIRB has also imposed a 13-day cooling off period before a strike or lockout can occur.”

Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City responded to the announcement by saying they would lock out members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference if a settlement or an agreement to participate in binding arbitration could not be reached.

In its own statement, the union said, “Workers’ right to strike had been temporarily suspended pending today’s decision by the CIRB. This effectively robbed the union of leverage. Absent the threat of a work stoppage, neither company had been willing to compromise or show any flexibility in their demands.”

The union said it would provide a 72-hour advance notice of a strike action, as required, if no contract agreement is reached.

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon released a statement saying that both sides in the work dispute have a responsibility to all Canadians to come to the negotiation table and work constructively toward a settlement.

Businesses across the supply chain in Canada are now having to prepare with more urgency for the possibility of significant disruptions should a work stoppage begin. As a leading forward-thinking organization, Canaan Group continues to discuss with customers how to begin planning for cargo re-diversion, alternative planning, and cargo risk mitigation. Contact us today at sales@canaangroup.ca for support.