Harper Government Welcomes a Tentative Deal to Protect Canadian Jobs and the Economy and Prevent a Work Stoppage at CN Rail

OTTAWA, Feb. 5, 2014 /CNW/ - Late today, the Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Canada's Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women issued the following statement on the tentative deal reached between CN Rail and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference:

"Our Government remains focused on the economy.  During this fragile global economic recovery, we must protect jobs and vital sectors in Canada's economy.

A work stoppage by approximately 3,300 members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference  would have damaging effects on our economy - on farmers in the Prairies, to auto workers on the assembly line in Ontario, to forestry workers in Quebec. The total impact of a shutdown is estimated at up to $450M per week.

Mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service assisted the parties in this negotiation and today our Government made it clear that legislation would be introduced to ensure that rail services are not disrupted. Immediately following our strong signal of action a tentative agreement was reached.

I am pleased that the parties continued to make every effort to settle their differences. It's essential that employers and unions work together to come to agreements that are in the best interest of everyone involved.

Our Government will not hesitate to put the interests of the economy and hard-working grain farmers and workers first.

- "The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women

Quick Facts

• The CN is the largest railway in Canada and transports approximately $250 billion worth of goods annually, including natural resources, manufactured products, and consumer goods. It transports products for a wide range of business sectors across a rail network spanning Canada and mid-America - from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico.
  
  
• The TCRC represents approximately 3 300 conductors and assistant conductors (road and yard), baggage persons, car retarder operators, yard operations employees, switch tenders, traffic coordinators, and assistant traffic coordinators whose previous collective agreements expired on July 22, 2013.

SOURCE: Employment and Social Development Canada