Train tracks are seen in an aerial view at the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail yard in Port Coquitlam, B.C., Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. A phased shutdown of the networks at Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. is already underway as the clock ticks down on negotiations with the union representing 9,300 engineers, conductors and yard workers. Both companies have issued lockout notices while the union has also threatened to strike. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck CANADAHALIFAX news Business groups call on federal government to prevent rail work stoppage by admin 21 أغسطس، 2024 written by admin 21 أغسطس، 2024 37 CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press OTTAWA — A coalition of business groups is calling on the federal government to prevent a work stoppage at Canada’s two biggest railways. A phased shutdown of the networks at Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. is already underway as the clock ticks down on contract talks with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. Unless deals are reached, rail service at both companies is poised to stop at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Thursday. In a joint statement Wednesday, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada, Canadian Federation of Independent Business and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters say Ottawa needs to take action to ensure the continuation of rail services. They say the federal labour minister can refer the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board for binding arbitration and prohibit a strike, lockout or end any ongoing stoppage pending a resolution. Alternatively, the business groups suggest the government use back-to-work legislation. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has repeatedly stressed that the parties must hammer out a deal themselves rather than rely on federal intervention, such as back-to-work legislation. The job action by a total of 9,300 employees at both CN and CPKC would be unprecedented, marking the first-ever simultaneous work stoppage at the country’s biggest rail companies, experts say. Their trains haul a combined $1 billion worth of goods per day, from canola to consumer electronics, according to the Railway Association of Canada. The U.S.-based CSX and Norfolk Southern railways have closed their gates to most cross-border shipments, while shipping giants such as Hapag-Lloyd have made “contingency plans” as others reroute cargo. More than 32,000 rail commuters across the country will also have to find new routes to the office if there is a work stoppage at CPKC. Transit authorities have said select commuter lines that run on CPKC tracks in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver will be suspended should dispatchers walk off the job. The commuter lines affected by the potential work stoppage are TransLink’s West Coast Express in the Vancouver area, Metrolinx’s Milton line and the Lakeshore line’s Hamilton GO station in the Greater Toronto Area, and Exo’s Candiac, Saint-Jérôme and Vaudreuil/Hudson lines in the Montreal area. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:CNR, TSX:CP) The Canadian Press 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail admin previous post xShubie Park fundraiser in honour of Dalhousie student-athlete’s cancer battle next post “إميلي في باريس” رحلة دراما من السخرية إلى القبول You may also like v 20 سبتمبر، 2024 More pharmacies added to community primary care clinic... 20 سبتمبر، 2024 Head of committee monitoring response to N.S. mass... 19 سبتمبر، 2024 Wednesday’s hot weather breaks 125-year-old record in Halifax... 19 سبتمبر، 2024 Local authors focusing on upcoming literature event in... 19 سبتمبر، 2024 لوغو طلب من الكتلة الكيبيكية إسقاط ترودو لكنها... 19 سبتمبر، 2024 كندا ’’ملعب‘‘ للتدخل الأجنبي وفقاً لنائب كندي 19 سبتمبر، 2024 كندا تمتنع عن التصويت على مشروع قرار يدعو... 19 سبتمبر، 2024 خفض عدد الطلاب الأجانب في كندا بـ10% إضافية 19 سبتمبر، 2024 Canadian Coast Guard crew member lost at sea... 18 سبتمبر، 2024