CN train stopped by union’s ‘solidarity action’ in Winnipeg
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/03/2024 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Union members slowed down trucks unloading vehicles delivered by CN rail Friday morning after stopping a train Thursday night.
The “solidarity action” by Unifor was prompted by the railway’s use of replacement workers amid a strike in Halifax. Unifor Local 100 members have been on strike at Autoport’s vehicle-processing and transshipment hub in Eastern Passage, N.S., since Feb. 27. Autoport is a subsidiary of CN.
Unifor said nearly 100 of its members were “a safe distance away from the track” at a rail crossing on a public roadway near CN’s Winnipeg yards Thursday, but the train stopped — apparently out of an abundance of caution — at about 7:15 p.m.
Picketers on Friday slow down trucks unloading goods that had been delivered by a CN train. (MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS)
Unifor said some cars loaded onto trains by replacement workers are shipped to Winnipeg to be stored and delivered to dealerships across North America. The Friday action, involving about 50 to 60 picketers, started around the intersection of Marion and Paulette Duguay streets at about 7:30 a.m.
“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,” Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s western regional director, said in a news release Thursday.
Unifor said similar actions might happen in Winnipeg and elsewhere in Canada if the use of replacement workers continues.
Autoport said in an emailed statement via CN that it “respects the right to peaceful and safe strike action” and remains 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,” Autoport said.
“Our contingency plan is keeping the supply chain fluid and goods moving safely. These activities will continue uninterrupted as long as necessary.”
Canada’s largest union in the private sector represents 239 employees at Autoport.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca