Union launches court appeal over government move to end railway labour dispute

The union representing thousands of rail workers is appealing the federal government’s decision to end a shutdown that halted freight traffic and commuters across the country.

In filings to the Federal Court of Appeal, the Teamsters union is challenging a directive for binding arbitration issued to a labour board by Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon following a lockout of 9,300 railroaders.

Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, says the action set a “dangerous precedent” that threatens constitutional guarantees around collective bargaining.

Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, along with some industry groups, have said the move ended months of needless uncertainty and subdued supply chain turmoil after the Teamsters rejected requests for arbitration.

On Saturday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered the country’s two major railways to resume operations and employees to return to their posts until binding arbitration could produce new contracts.

The union has filed four separate appeals in court that contest the minister’s orders and the labour tribunal’s decisions related to CN and CPKC.