CN conductors on strike

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Local train crews have been without their conductors since Saturday morning.
Talks broke down between Canadian National Railway and the United Transportation Union, which set the wheels in motion to strike.
About 20 members of the local UTU 1179 hit the picket lines here Saturday and local UTU Chairman Dave Armstrong said they could be out for a long time.
CN has a hearing today trying to get the workers legislated back to work. Depending upon what happens there, Armstrong said, “It could get ugly.”
Armstrong said the main issues from the union’s perspective are safety and quality of life. “They are talking about working us 12 hours a day six days a week.”
At present the crews work 9 hour days.
While the union is asking for a 4.5% raise over two years and a 4% raise the third year, Armstrong said the union’s main concern is safety not money.
A documentary on CTV’s W5 aired Saturday extolling questions about CNR’s safety practises of late.
CN released a written statement to CTV saying CN is fully committed to safe operations.
On the picket line Monday Local railway worker Peter Michniewich, “Each and everyone here could tell you a story about safety concerns.”
The current three year contract expired and it appeared midweek last week that the two sides might reach a settlement by Saturday, but that did not happen.
CNR has also said they would run trains despite the strike action. But even though the trains have been going through here there have not been as many. And because they can not run the longer trains without a conductor on board shorter trains have meant crews have been switching off in Rainy River again for the first time in several years.
However, the crew change here has had the crews taxied back to Fort Frances rather than stay here. As a rule of thumb they need to have a kitchen facility available to the workers.
Local union members have been picketing along Hwy. 11 near the point where the crew changes have occurred.
Armstrong noted that engineers are still working but are under a different contract. “But what happens with this one will happen with theirs, so they are supporting us and keeping a close eye on what happens with us,” said Armstrong.