Related
Internal Links
Locomotive engineers at Canadian National walked off the job early Saturday after last-minute negotiations collapsed just before a midnight Friday strike deadline.
The two sides had begun talks at noon in Montreal at the invitation of federal mediators.
Teamsters union spokesman Stéphane Lacroix had said there was a possibility the strike could be postponed if the railway agreed to negotiate and not impose a 1.5 per cent wage increase and revised distance caps.
The strike by the 1,700 engineers could affect service, but analysts believe the railway can continue to operate since many of its supervisors and managers are qualified engineers.
Via Rail said earlier that its passenger service would be unaffected by a strike.
In the Montreal region, the Metropolitan Transport Agency said a strike would force the cancellation of service on its Montreal/Deux-Montagnes and Montreal/Mont-Saint-Hilaire train lines.
In a statement, the agency said it was seeking a court injunction to block a strike, calling it "unacceptable" that service for 38,000 commuters a day could be "held hostage" by a labour conflict.
In the event of a walkout, the agency said it would try to arrange for shuttle service for commuters, starting Monday.
The most recent strike at CN ended after more than two months in 2007 when Parliament enacted back-to-work legislation affecting 2,800 conductors represented by the United Transportation Union.
With files from The Canadian PressShare Tools
Latest Manitoba News Headlines
- Missing boater may have struck reef, police say
- A boater who has been missing since Tuesday may have struck a reef, police say, adding a search for the man is continuing. more »
- Crime spree ends with 46 break-in charges
- Police in Winnipeg think they have caught the person behind a string of early-morning break-ins, where a vehicle was used to smash into businesses. more »
- RCMP to close labs in Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina
- The RCMP is closing forensic laboratories in Halifax, Winnipeg and Regina and consolidating them with three others in a move the force says will lead to faster, more efficient service. more »
- Winnipeg's Union Station to get facelift
- The 100-year-old Union Station in Winnipeg is set to get a $6.5 million facelift. more »
Top News Headlines
- Attack on Syrian villages deadliest yet, activists say
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, activists say, and as many as half the victims may have been children. more »
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- Tornado touchdown confirmed near Montreal
- Trees were uprooted, roofs damaged and windows shattered as severe thunderstorms, and possibly a tornado, rattled through southwestern Quebec Friday night. more »
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest
- The deaths of six climbers last weekend on Mt. Everest, with more summits underway this weekend, fuels the debate about the risks and responsibilities of high altitude climbing. more »
- Winnipeg WWE wrestler Chris Jericho suspended after flag incident
- Crime spree ends with 46 break-in charges
- Missing boater may have struck reef, police say
- Outhouse bear attack survivor was grabbed from 'throne'
- First-time homebuyers find frustration in Winnipeg
- Winnipeg's Union Station to get facelift
- Kelvin High School celebrates 100 years
- RCMP to close labs in Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina
- MPI asked to cover tab for officers' overtime
Teddy Bears' Picnic
