LAVAL, QC, June 11, 2026 – Teamsters Canada is slamming a Senate report released today that calls for new government powers to ban strikes and impose binding arbitration in the federally regulated rail and port sectors.
The report, Keep Canada Moving, from the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, also proposes weakening section 87.4 of the Canada Labour Code, making it easier to order employees to keep working during a legal strike.
“Corporate Canada is pushing the false narrative that because of a rail and port lockout two years ago, Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner is somehow under threat. It’s a ridiculous notion. Our trading partners are not complaining about strikes in Canada,” said François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada.
“Senators who are utterly disconnected from the daily grind of transportation workers swallowed the corporate line whole. They heard sworn testimony that CN and CPKC colluded to lock out their own workers, on the same day, to manufacture a crisis, and this report rewards them for it,” added Laporte.
“The reality is that more than 95 % of collective agreements are settled without a work stoppage because parties negotiated in good faith. But take away the right to strike, and companies have no reason to bargain seriously, and workers lose the leverage to win better wages and working conditions,” he said.
“Strike action brought Canadians the weekend, overtime pay, and parental leave. Not forced mediation, nor arbitration. The right to strike is protected by the Charter, and we call on the Government of Canada to reject this report in its entirety,” concluded Laporte.
Teamsters Canada represents 130,000 workers across the country, including 16,000 in the rail sector.
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Media requests:
Christopher Monette
Director of Public Affairs
Teamsters Canada
Cell : 514-226-6002
[email protected]
