The rail strike involving the Canadian Teamsters Union, Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City ending following the government’s decision to force arbitration between the union and the two freight companies. (Source: Shutterstock)
More than 9,000 Canadian rail workers returned to work on Aug. 26 after threatening to contest the government’s decision to force arbitration between the union and the two freight companies involved in the strike.
On Aug. 22, Canadian National Railway (CNI) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP) locked out rail workers following months of unsuccessful negotiations over safety and scheduling issues. The Canadian government ordered binding arbitration with independent third party Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to solve the dispute.
The Canadian Teamsters Union threatened to strike during arbitration, but the CIRB ruled Aug. 24 that that work stoppage must end. The union announced that it would return to work Aug. 26, while planning to appeal the CIRB’s decision to federal court.
“This decision by the CIRB sets a dangerous precedent. It signals to corporate Canada that large companies need only stop their operations for a few hours, inflict short-term economic pain and the federal government will step in to break a union,” said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
CNI and CP both issued statements Aug. 24 that they were ready to resume service.
Both companies handle a small percentage of the country’s crude and NGL traffic with the U.S. Analysts had said a short strike would not have much of an impact on the energy industry.
RELATED
Recommended Reading
BYOP (Bring Your Own Power): The Great AI Race for Electrons
2025-01-06 - Data-center developers, scrambling to secure 24/7 power, are calling on U.S. producers to meet demand as natgas offers the quickest way to get more electrons into the taps.
Digital Twins ‘Fad’ Takes on New Life as Tool to Advance Long-Term Goals
2025-02-13 - As top E&P players such as BP, Chevron and Shell adopt the use of digital twins, the technology has gone from what engineers thought of as a ‘fad’ to a useful tool to solve business problems and hit long-term goals.
New Era Helium, Sharon AI Cement Permian Basin Data Center JV
2025-01-21 - New Era Helium and Sharon AI have created a JV, Texas Critical Data Centers, and are working on offtake gas supply agreements and site selection.
Understanding the Impact of AI and Machine Learning on Operations
2024-12-24 - Advanced digital technologies are irrevocably changing the oil and gas industry.
Pioneer Energy’s Tech Offers More Pad Throughput, Fewer Emissions
2025-01-14 - Pioneer Energy’s Emission Control Treater technology reduces emissions and can boost a well’s crude yield by 5% to10%, executives say.
Comments
Add new comment
This conversation is moderated according to Hart Energy community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. If you’re experiencing any technical problems, please contact our customer care team.