Official: Canada to introduce legislation to end rail strike

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

TORONTO (AP) — Canada's Conservative government will introduce legislation to end a strike at Canadian Pacific Railway by more than 3,000 Teamsters members.

A government official said Sunday that the legislation will be brought forward Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

The strike by 3,000 locomotive engineers and other train workers began late Saturday after contract talks failed.

FULL short story at link.


Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/aae7e600109f45c58e7de8a7d23dab42/3000-strike-canadian-pacific-railway-after-talks-fail

---

Does that effect the crews or instalations when they are on the US side of the border?

[happyslug]

1. Great map of the Canadian National Railway, but it is the Canadian Pacific that is going on strike

Here is the map of the Canadian Pacific Railway (Without its Subsidiary, the Dakota, Minnesota And Eastern Railway).



http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/c/Canadian_Pacific_Railway.htm

Here is the Canadian Pacific Railway (With its Subsidiary, the Dakota, Minnesota And Eastern Railway).



http://www.economist.com/news/business/21573173-foreign-boss-making-iconic-railroad-newly-competitive-pacific-turnaround

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Pacific_Railway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota,_Minnesota_and_Eastern_Railroad

[Omaha Steve]

2. Thanks

I even posted the CN had come to terms yesterday afternoon.

[happyslug]

4. Yes I have done that, list something I should have know was wrong

It is one of the problem of operating without an editor. they catch mistakes like that.

[elleng]

3. Good rail maps, happyslug.

Thanks!

[elleng]

5. A prolonged shutdown would be felt in the United States as well as Canada.

Producers in Canada’s oil sands have been increasingly using Canadian Pacific, in addition to its rival, Canadian National Railway, for shipments to American refineries. The tightly integrated auto industry is also a major customer.

All three Toyota vehicle assembly plants in Ontario use only Canadian Pacific for rail shipments. Greig Mordue, the general manager of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, said that the company had acquired additional areas to stockpile completed cars, would add truck shipments and would take some production to other railways by truck.

“It’s a challenge,” Mr. Mordue said. “We have storage spaces essentially for about five days outside of our normal routine.”

But those options are not economically viable or even practical for many of Canadian Pacific’s customers. . .

Retailers in the United States may also encounter product shortages. Many containers ultimately bound for the United States are unloaded at ports in British Columbia, then delivered by rail to Chicago and other destinations in the United States by Canadian Pacific.

Labor relations at Canadian Pacific have been shaky in recent years. In 2012, the activist investor William A. Ackman won control of Canadian Pacific through a proxy fight. He then installed E. Hunter Harrison as chief executive, with a mandate to cut costs and improve performance, steps he had previously taken as the top executive at Canadian National. Many of Mr. Harrison’s measures have not gone over well with unions.

The Canadian government, which has clashed with Canadian Pacific over delays in grain shipments apparently caused by the growth in its oil shipping business, introduced legislation that ended a 2012 strike after nine days. It is expected that the government may introduce a bill to end this strike as soon as Parliament convenes on Monday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/16/business/international/canadian-pacific-railway-strike-may-affect-north-american-industries.html?hpw&rref=business&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Funny how RR crews are just another useless gadget in management's toolbox

until they go on strike, when suddenly they become the most valuable, irreplaceable people on the face of the earth.

Heh. Better pony up, boss.

[polynomial]

7. There is a message there

It takes courage to have that many engineers go on strike. There is a message there, something is wrong. Likely it is staffing and benefits.

My opinion is to get good short term and long term disability benefits besides good trip rates that don’t encourage one to work sixteen hours a day.

Good rest is a priority to stay healthy through the weather the Canadians have to endure. The Union Pacific is well known to talk about your health issues like the body clock or have a high priority about safety briefing, however from real experience the Union Pacific deploys loyalty programs that avoid reporting injuries. Actually you might get fired.


Also preventive maintenance for locomotives is a must, there are managers that will bully an engineer to move a train that could have of safety issues. I have witnessed that happen in the Union Pacific railroad in that individuals risk being fired by not moving a train.

If there is that much risk managers or supervisors should be available to take responsibility rather than expose union members to safety breaches. That should be in American legislation too…

There are a lot of reasons a man or woman should not risk their life especially getting towards retirement.

In Particular after finding out the railroad ties are loaded with Creosote a poison, a carcinogen that is cancer causing.

This poison is used in wooden ties as preservatives. However, just a small amount getting into the bloodstream via a simple cut will cause severe pain that will last a long time.

Even can reduce your life span, and worse cause cancer for a slow death.

[blkmusclmachine]

8. It's Canada's turn to get the Conservative Shakedown like what's happened in the US.

[marble falls]

9. "Welcome to the teaparty, eh hosers!"