Canada Railway workers are nearing the end of a second vote in favor of a strike after the Canadian government put a hold on a planned walkout in May.

“It is clear we cannot rely on a timely conclusion to these unfortunate circumstances and must protect our rights regardless of outcome,” the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference said in a press release.

Since the beginning of 2024, the union has been unsuccessfully negotiating with Canadian railway companies Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) for higher pay and changes to worker scheduling for safety concerns. Union members approved a strike at the beginning of May, which was to go into effect on May 21.

Both Canadian National and CPKC haul significant amounts of crude and NGLs as part of their normal cargo.

The Canadian Labor Ministry deferred the strike’s start date and sent the issue to be reviewed for safety considerations by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). The move caused an indefinite delay on a strike until the CIRB issues a decision on the potential impacts on the country’s safety.

The second vote is a procedural move, according to the union's statement, as a strike authorization from a workers’ vote expires after 60 days, according to Canadian labor laws.

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