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Trudeau says government will have update shortly on solution to rail lockout

  • Nojoud Al Mallees

    Nojoud Al Mallees

  • Canadian Press

  • August 22, 2024

Rail workers picket in front of CN headquarters on the first day of a nationwide rail shutdown, after workers were locked out by CN and CPKC when new contract agreements weren't reached by the midnight deadline, in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

OTTAWA -- The federal government will have "more to say shortly" on what it's doing to resolve a lockout at Canada's two biggest rail companies, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. locked out 9,300 engineers, conductors and yard workers after the parties did not agree on new contracts before a midnight deadline.

While visiting a manufacturing facility in Sherbrooke, Que., Trudeau said the Liberal government is "not taking this lightly" and is working to find the right solution for the economy.

Business groups have urged the government to step in with binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation, warning that the shutdown will have massive economic consequences.

New Democrats will not support back-to-work legislation or any interference in the bargaining process, said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

Singh also criticized the companies for locking out their employees and said they should be bargaining with Teamsters Canada.

CN and CPKC locked out their workers because they expect the Liberals to "swoop in to help the corporation and hurt the workers with binding arbitration or back-to-work legislation," he said.

"I have always been clear, New Democrats will not support back-to-work legislation or any interference in the bargaining process."

A spokesman for Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said the minister was in meetings all day on the rail shutdown and was following the matter closely.

MacKinnon said Thursday on X that he had spoken to his American counterpart about the work stoppages and the importance of the rail sector to both countries.

Trudeau made a brief statement in Sherbrooke but did not take questions from reporters.

"We are we are not taking this lightly, obviously, because Canadians across the country are worried about it, and we will have more to say shortly on what we're doing to make sure that the right solution is found quickly for the economy," he said.

The last time the Liberal government enacted back-to-work legislation was in 2021, to end a strike by dockworkers at the Port of Montreal.

The federal Conservative party had no immediate comment on the lockout.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2024.