At the 13th Teamsters Canada Convention, delegates unanimously adopted a resolution to continue our efforts to improve rail safety and to fight the fatigue that afflicts workers in this industry…
The Lac-Mégantic rail tragedy that occurred on July 6, 2013, is still fresh in our minds. This derailment of a runaway convoy of 72 tank cars containing 7.7 million liters of oil caused explosions and a fire that destroyed some 40 buildings in downtown Lac-Megantic, killing 47 people. Another 2,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes.
On top of being a traumatic disaster for the residents of this small and peaceful town, it was one of the darkest episodes in Canadian railway history.
Lac-Mégantic also reminds us that, year after year, many brothers and sisters of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) are injured or lose their lives in rail accidents.
This sad toll is painful for many families and unacceptable for the Teamsters Union.
This is why, this year at the 13th Teamsters Canada Convention, our political bodies unanimously adopted a resolution to pursue our efforts to improve rail safety and to fight against the fatigue that afflicts workers in this industry.
Rail Safety and Fatigue
BE IT RESOLVED THAT Teamsters Canada continue to work with the TCRC to pressure government to use current fatigue science to guide decisions about fatigue risk management in the rail industry; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT Teamsters Canada also works with its locals to raise awareness and push for formal policies, procedures and field practices related to fatigue in all manufacturing and transportation sectors.
Beyond this important action taken by our union’s leaders to ensure the health and safety of our members and the public, it is also important to take a moment to remember the victims of Lac-Mégantic and to reflect on what we can do to ensure that this never happens again.
In Solidarity,
François Laporte
President
Teamsters Canada
