Shipping and Logistics
Labor woes threaten Canadian rail network
Written by Ethan Bernard
August 19, 2024
A work stoppage could hit Canada’s rail network as two rail companies have said they will lock out union workers on Thursday if no labor agreement is reached.
CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) have said they will lock out Teamsters Canada Rail Conference workers on Aug. 22 at 12:01 a.m. ET in the event a negotiated settlement cannot be agreed upon.
Little progress
“Despite negotiations over the weekend, no meaningful progress has occurred, and the parties remain very far apart,” CN said in a statement on Sunday.
Separately, CPKC said the decision to issue a lockout notice came after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) issued a decision. The board determined that “no services need to be maintained during a railway strike or lockout in order to protect Canadian public health and safety,” the company said in a statement on Aug. 9.
Teamsters respond
Acknowledging the CN notice, the Teamsters issued a statement on Sunday saying, “As this situation at the bargaining table develops, we will keep you all as informed as possible in the coming days.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Teamsters had said they would go out on strike at CPKC on Aug. 22.
A Reuters article on Sunday lists the companies as the country’s two largest rail operators.
The union has so far refused to commit to binding arbitration to resolve the labor disputes, according to the CN and CPKC statements.
Ethan Bernard
Read more from Ethan BernardLatest in Shipping and Logistics
Reibus: Flatbed, dry van rates ticked up post-hurricanes
After closing the third quarter -3.84% on a y/y basis, our first look at fourth-quarter flatbed spot rates puts us virtually flat y/y, coming in at -0.68%.
Leibowitz: Thorny issues remain as ILA-USMX talks kicked into 2025
On Thursday, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX), representing carriers and port operators on the East and Gulf Coasts, announced a three-and-a-half-month extension of the recently expired collective bargaining agreement. The extension kicks the can down the road until Jan. 15, 2025, after the 2024 election and the certification of the results on Jan. 6.
Ports strike over as longshoremen reach tentative pact with employers
The International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached a tentative agreement on wages on Thursday evening. The move ends a strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports that began on Tuesday and that had threatened significant supply-chain disruptions.
ILA rejects 50% raise, strikes ports on East Coast, Gulf Coast
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) launched a strike just after midnight on Tuesday at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. The work stoppage spans from New England to New Orleans. It came after a last-ditch offer by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents maritime employers, failed to meet union demands.
Calls for talks as coastwide labor strike could hit supply chains on Tuesday
Unless a last-minute deal is struck by midnight on Monday, a massive work stoppage will hit ports up and down the East and Gulf Coasts on Tuesday and cause widespread supply chain disruption. Master contract negotiations remain stalled between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The employer group took […]