Trudeau says gov’t won’t be “very quick” with back-to-work order, as CP Rail strike begins

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Around 3,000 conductors and engineers who work for Canadian Pacific Railway went on strike on Tuesday evening after negotiations with the railway failed to yield a settlement prior to the strike deadline at 10pm eastern.

Negotiations between the union and the railway are ongoing, with federal mediators involved. The union says it is willing to remain at the bargaining table during the talks.

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Meanwhile, CP reached a last-minute deal with another union whose members were poised to go on strike on Tuesday evening. A tentative three-year agreement was reached with the System Council No. 11 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, meaning 300+ signal maintainers are remaining on the job.

Earlier Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked whether his government would introduce back-to-work legislation.

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“We believe deeply in working things out at the bargaining table,” Trudeau said in an interview with Bloomberg. “We have companies that have gotten used to the fact that in certain industries, the government in the past was very quick to legislate against unions. We are not going to do that.”

If the government intervenes, Trudeau said “there will certainly be reflections around not making it to the advantage of the employer.”

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More to come.

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Related: CP Rail prepping for potential strike on Tuesday night