A union representing striking workers in Halifax said it stopped a CN train in Winnipeg yesterday as part of escalations against that company.
“CN cannot escape the spotlight. The shameful behaviour by CN Autoport in Halifax will be met with resistance across our union,” said Lana Payne, Unifor national president in a March 14 news release.
“CN can expect more unscheduled disruption from coast-to-coast if it continues strike-busting tactics,” Payne added.
Unifor said it “safely” stopped the train at “a rail crossing at a public roadway near CN’s Winnipeg yards” where close to 100 Unifor members and supporters were holding a demonstration.
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Workers at Autoport, a CN-operated transshipping hub at the Port of Halifax, began their strike on February 27, according to a news release from Unifor. Unifor Local 100 represents 239 workers at that facility.
Unifor said it stopped the train as a protest after CN brought in replacement workers to work at the Halifax facility. It said some cars, loaded onto trains by these replacement workers, end up in Winnipeg where they’re stored before delivery elsewhere in North America.
“The strike in Halifax will be resolved with good faith bargaining at the bargaining table,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s western regional director. “CN is wrong if it thinks it can bully our members with scabs. This approach will only extend the strike and cause headaches for its national operations.”
In a statement, CN, speaking for Autoport, did not directly address the incident, however it said that it respected the right to peaceful and safe strike actions and remained “committed to achieving a fair negotiated settlement with the union.”
“We recently reiterated to employees that we remain ready to find a resolution at the bargaining table as soon as Unifor is ready,” a CN spokesperson said.
“Our contingency plan is keeping the supply chain fluid and goods moving safely. These activities will continue uninterrupted as along as necessary.”
–Updated March 15 to add comments from CN.
