If I understand things correctly, the UTU members employed at the Canadian National Railway will be going on strike in less than an hour and a half.

CNR President E. Hunter Harrison stated earlier in the week that he believed a new contract, but also said that management and other non-UTU employees of the CNR would attempt to maintain service if the UTU walked out. This is not an unusual move; if I understand my history correctly, it was done at the Florida East Coast back in the 1960s and at the Norfolk and Western during a clerks' strike in the late 1970s; I have heard stories of Robert Claytor himself crewing a train.

The details of any contracts are unknown to me, but it is apparent that the UTU are unhappy with whatever the CNR is offering. For what it's worth, the attitude of current and former CNR employees towards Mr. Harrison has been negative. However, it is also worth noting that one of the freedoms any railroad man has is the right to complain about management. Under Mr. Harrison, late of the Illinois Central, CNR financial performance has increased dramatically.

Based upon a statement from the Canadian Auto Workers Union, the CNR may have plans to try and bus CAW members through prospective UTU picket lines, a move which the CAW opposes. The CAW, which concluded a new labor agreement with the CNR in late January of 2007, also pointed out that CAW members are legally entitled to refuse work normally performed by UTU members.

The UTU represents ~2,800 conductors and yard service employees on the CNR. My uneducated guess is that this includes all crafts other than locomotive engineers, which are presumably covered by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

Updates as I find them.

EDIT: I suddenly realized that I wasn't using the far more common "CN" to refer to the Canadian National Railway. Yeah, I know it's not 1960 any more. By the way, any CNR employee, agreement or non-agreement who'd like to weigh in on this is more than welcome to; short of some sort of civil or criminal lawsuit by the CNR or other parties, I offer anonymity.

DISCLAIMER: I have no pecuniary interest in the Canadian National Railway or any other railroad. I have no interest or association with any element of railroad labor organization. My interest in this is purely from the perspective of an amateur industry enthusiast.

Posted by: Country Pundit at 10:47 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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