CN Rail workers in Halifax say they want no part in the rotating strikes their national union began this week.

Bill Johnson, chairman of Local 713, said the United Transportation Union is in a "small state of dysfunction."

"We don't have faith in our negotiators," he told CBC News Thursday.

"We've already done economic sanctions against the company with our strike in February. We don't wish to hurt the public anymore, the economy anymore and definitely not the Port of Halifax anymore."

Johnson said Halifax workers fear the strikes will lead to a bad contract they will not get to vote on, if the federal labour minister steps in.

The United Transportation Union announced Tuesday that nearly 80 per cent of its members who cast ballots voted against a tentative agreement.

Union leaders had recommended that members endorse the one-year deal, retroactive to Jan. 1, which included a three per cent wage hike and $1,000 signing bonuses.

Late Tuesday, rail workers in Ontario and British Columbia walked off the job to force CN back to the bargaining table.

Two people picketing in Halifax were reportedly union officials from Ontario.

Workers hope move will prevent lockout

Wednesday afternoon, CN locked out hundreds of workers at five rail yards in Ontario and B.C. where strikes had occurred.

Jamie King hopes the decision to stay on the job in Halifax will prevent a lockout in Nova Scotia.

"We do want to work," King said. "If we lose traffic, we might never get it back. But it's hard to work under the conditions the company is getting us to work under."

Johnson said the division in the union is a sign of bigger problems that may only be resolved if railway workers choose a new union to represent them.

No one from the national union office could be reached for comment.