Canadian rail workers back on the job, but union announces appeal against ruling

Workers on the Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railroads returned to work today after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordered binding arbitration between the railroad companies and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). The TCRC has announced that it will challenge the CIRB's decision in court.
In addition, the CIRB ordered that there should be no disruption to the rail network – whether through lockouts or strikes – during the arbitration process, Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, said in an email.
“Of course, it is preferable if the two parties had the scope to reach an agreement themselves,” Steenhoek said in the email. “Although they were given more than enough time to do so, no agreement was reached.”
“It is therefore entirely appropriate for the Canadian federal government to intervene on behalf of the country and all those who – like U.S. agriculture – depend on a predictable, reliable cross-border supply chain.”