Unifor members at CP Rail vote to strike, if necessary

CALGARY, Alta.– Workers at CP Rail, represented by Unifor Local 101R have voted 97% in favour of going on strike if necessary. The deadline is set as February 15 at 12:01 a.m. Voting took place at meetings across Canada over the last week, Unifor said in a release.

Unifor Local 101R represents approximately 1,650 workers at CP in locations across the country. Negotiations commenced in September and resume this week in Calgary. The current contract expired on December 31, 2014.

“At every single federal sector collective bargaining table, we will be negotiating clauses around union certification, so that we can continue to advocate on behalf of workers – without government interference,” said Unifor President Jerry Dias. He said that the union will be enshrining in the collective agreement rights “that the federal government is attempting to take away with Bill C-525 (now law), such as permitting a minority (40 per cent) to initiate a decertification vote.”

“Workers at CP Rail have the full support of the union right across Canada as they fight concessionary demands to secure a decent contract,” said Dias.

Local 101R members perform important safety inspections and brake tests on freight trains and locomotives. They also perform repair and maintenance work on wheels and bearings, braking systems and safety appliances on freight and tank cars that travel along the CP Rail system.