By News Talk Radio Staff

Agreement reached to end CP Rail strike

Feb 15, 2015 | 2:32 PM

Dozens of boots continued to pace up and down the sidewalk outside of the main Canadian Pacific Railway office in Saskatoon, legislation was introduced in Ottawa, but it was an agreement between the two parties which ended the CP Rail strike Monday afternoon.

The House of Commons was in the process of  debating legislation that would have seen the back-to-work legislation rushed through when Federal Labour Minister Kellie Leitch said the CP Railway strike was over, with both sides agreeing to resume discussions.

In a sudden, surprise news conference, Leitch welcomed the sudden willingness by both sides to resume talks, a development that had seemed impossible just hours earlier. Leitch has said the strike could cost the economy more than $200 million in lost GDP every week.

“The membership (was) disappointed and frustrated that the government would step in so quickly and not allow the collective bargaining process to come to fruition,” strike captain Division 793 Teamsters Canada Doug Fast explained in the morning.

The proposed legislation had come only a day after 3,300 locomotive engineers and other CP train workers walked off the job following failed contract talks. 

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Fast said there are issues on the table that need to be addressed. 

“It’s work life balance are the big issues for our members. We spend a lot of time away from home; we spend a lot of time getting ready for work; and we don’t have a very accurate idea of when we are going to work,” he said. “It’s very tough to stay rested and be ready to go at a moments notice.”

Fast’s concerns were echoed in Regina where engineer Brian Atrron was out picketing. 

“It’s not got anything to do with money or benefits or anything like that. It’s all about the quality of life at home. Fatigue is a big problem on CP Rail right now,” he said.

“They are making us go to work tired.”

Atrron said at the end of a trip workers can take 24 hours for rest but he said CP wants to lower that to 10 hours. 

– With files from The Canadian Press, News Talk Radio’s Kelly Malone, and News Talk Radio’s Deborah Shawcross