Feds Doing Corporate Canada’s Dirty Work With Rail Arbitration Order

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Canada's largest union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), is slamming the federal government's forced arbitration order against rail workers represented by Teamsters Canada who were set to engage in a lawful strike. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order an end to any labour stoppage and imposed binding arbitration.

CUPE says the decision sets a dangerous precedent for future labour disputes, sending a clear signal to corporations in Canada that when negotiations get tough, the federal government will always come to their rescue to help trample the rights of their employees.

"Once again we see this Liberal government behaving like the Harper Conservatives before them when it comes to workers' rights," said CUPE National President Mark Hancock. "Companies who don't want to negotiate a fair contract with their employees just have to pick up the phone and have Minister MacKinnon do their dirty work for them, apparently. It is despicable for a government to be actively undermining the bargaining power of working people in this way."

CUPE believes forced arbitration is an attack on collective bargaining rights that is incompatible with the Constitution. Attacking the right to strike only serves to further undermine the foundations of industrial peace and freedom of association that the Constitution protects.

"The federal government's role is to support Canadian workers and ensure everyone plays by the rules in labour negotiations, not to play favourites and tip the scales on behalf of multinational corporations," said CUPE National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick. "It is so disappointing to see the Liberals act this way just weeks after Parliament passed historic pro-worker legislation in Bill C-58."

CUPE represents over 30,000 workers in federally-regulated sectors including airlines, ports, and communications.