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Canadian Pacific Railway Workers Go on Strike

Freight services are suspended across Canada as almost 5,000 railway workers walk off the job Tuesday night. A work stoppage at Canadian Pacific Railway could cost upwards of half a billion dollars in losses if the strike continues for a week.   More than 4,800 CP Railway conductors, engineers and other workers walked off their jobs just after midnight on Wednesday, effectively halting freight service across the country. That means no coal, grain or fertilizer will make it to any destination until the strike ceases.  

By Lindsey Peacock /

Canadian Pacific Railway strike | BCBusiness
All Canadian Pacific Railway freight services are currently suspended as thousands of employees strike.

Freight services are suspended across Canada as almost 5,000 railway workers walk off the job Tuesday night.

A work stoppage at Canadian Pacific Railway could cost upwards of half a billion dollars in losses if the strike continues for a week.
 
More than 4,800 CP Railway conductors, engineers and other workers walked off their jobs just after midnight on Wednesday, effectively halting freight service across the country. That means no coal, grain or fertilizer will make it to any destination until the strike ceases.
 
In spite of the strike, CP is still operating its freight services in the midwestern region of the U.S. and commuter trains in Toronto, Montreal and here in Vancouver.
 
The workers are members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union, which called the strike when last-minute talks to renew their collective agreements stalled.
 
While a prolonged strike would be costly for a number of industries, it’s unlikely the work stoppage will last. Federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt threatened workers with back-to-work legislation just 10 hours after the strike began. And she’s demonstrated with recent Air Canada strikes that she’s true to her word.