Question Period Note: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING INVOLVING THE CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY COMPANY, MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC AND THE TEAMSTERS CANADA RAIL CONFERENCE

Current status of the collective bargaining negotiations between the Canadian National Railway Company and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference

• Following months of negotiations, CN and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference have been unable to reach new collective agreements and a work stoppage has begun.
• I fully realize that the stoppage is having a serious impact across the country.
• I urge both parties to continue their negotiations. Mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service remain available to assist them.
• I remain hopeful that the parties will reach an agreement.
• I am monitoring the situation closely.

The Canadian National Railway Company (CN) is the largest railway in Canada and transports more than $250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America.

The parties are negotiating the renewal of five collective agreements which expired on July 22, 2019, covering all (approximately 3,600) conductors and assistant conductors, yard persons and traffic coordinators working for the CN lines in Canada. Collective agreement 4.16 applies to conductors and assistant conductors working on CN lines East, agreement 4.2 applies to traffic coordinators working on CN lines East and West, agreement 4.3 applies to conductors and assistant conductors working on CN lines West, Algoma Central Railway agreement applies to conductors, trainpersons and yardpersons working on the Algoma Central Railway territory, and B.C. Rail agreement applies to employees working on the former B.C. Rail territory.

On March 22, 2019, the union served a notice to bargain to the employer for the purpose of renewing their collective agreements and direct bargaining sessions took place on May 21-23 and
June 12-14, 2019 for a total of seven days.

On June 18, 2019, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) received a notice of dispute from the union.

On June 26, 2019, three conciliation officers were appointed to assist the parties in their negotiations and on August 26, 2019, the conciliation period was extended until October 25, 2019. Conciliation meetings were held on July 8-11, August 20-23, September 23-25 and October 22-25, 2019 but the parties were unable to reach an agreement during that period.

The union members voted 99.2% in favour of strike action. Pursuant to section 87.3(1) of the Canada Labour Code, the parties agreed to extend the validity of the strike mandate to November 21, 2019.

On October 28, 2019, three mediators were appointed and on November 8, 2019, the Director General of the FMCS was added to the file as co-mediator. Mediation meetings took place on November 4-6 and resumed on November 14, 2019.

On November 16, 2019 at 00:01, the parties acquired the legal right to strike or lockout. On the same day, the union gave a notice to the employer, advising that strike action would commence on
November 19, 2019 at 00:01 Eastern Time. No agreement on the maintenance of activities has been reached by the parties in the event of a strike or lockout.

On November 19, 2019 at 00:01, the union commenced an unlimited general strike. Negotiations between the parties are continuing with the assistance of the mediators.

The ongoing strike is affecting the transportation of over $500 million worth of goods per day. CN anticipates being able to use its managers to operate one third of its network for up to one week.

• The parties are negotiating the renewal of five collective agreements which expired on July 22, 2019, covering a bargaining unit of approximately 3,600 conductors and assistant conductors, yard persons and traffic coordinators working for the CN lines in Canada.
• On November 19, 2019 at 00:01, the union commenced an unlimited general strike.
• Negotiations between the parties are continuing, with the assistance of the mediators.