Rail Transportation

During the afternoon of May 28, 1980, the Canadian Pacific, along with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way, were shocked, shaken and silenced to discover a bus loaded with Engineering Services employees known as the “Prairie Steel Gang,” was involved in a horrific three-vehicle accident.

The Teamsters Union is satisfied with the measures proposed by Minister Marc Garneau, namely with respect to the environment and infrastructure. However, the Strategic Plan for the Future of Transportation in Canada does not directly meet the specific challenges facing rail transport workers and truckers, and the Teamsters will therefore be impatiently awaiting the detailed announcements in the coming months.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference - Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED) would like to announce that it has reached a tentative agreement with Canadian Pacific (CP). The details will be released to our members for ratification and the bargaining committee will be recommending adoption of what we believe is a fair deal, providing stability for our members over the next five years...

The Teamsters Union will follow very closely the investigation initiated by Transport Canada and does not intend to issue any further comment while the investigation is underway.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) has filed for intervenor status to support the government’s order requiring the use of handbrakes when trains stop on a mountain grade after using their emergency braking system.

Officers of the Teamsters Union have reacted strongly to some of the conclusions revealed yesterday by the Transportation Safety Board with respect to locomotive voice and video recorders. The Teamsters took part in the study and represents almost all workers who operate the trains throughout the country.

Three members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) have died as a result of a major Canadian Pacific (CP) train derailment. The accident occurred at approximately 1 a.m. Mountain Time between Field, BC and Calgary, AB.

The Teamsters Union will meet the press at 12:30 today at the Press Gallery in the Parliament building. Doug Finnson, Vice-President of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and chief negotiator, as well as Benoit Brunet, negotiator, will be available to answer questions from the media about the strike at Canadian Pacific and the back-to-work legislation.

The Teamsters Union fears that the rail industry’s proposal, namely CP, will create a dangerous precedent and open the door to abuse by rail carriers.

One major issue was fatigue management and the necessity to implement broad based and effective fatigue countermeasures for the rail workers.