Newswire article:
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/11/19-cn-workers-go-on-strike-in-canada
Union's press release from a few days ago:
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/11/16/1948304/0/en/Fighting-for-Rail-Safety-Teamsters-Serve-Strike-Notice-to-CN.html
The strike began at midnight last night, and we are out walking the picket lines as I write this.
The Company is demanding the elimination of restrictions on what work Conductor-only crews can perform, and the elimination or reduction of the ways we can take rest or time off work. The overall effect would be the elimination of a lot of jobs, with the fewer remaining employees forced to work harder and work longer hours.
The layoffs that were announced recently are a separate issue, they are due to the decline in rail traffic as the economy slows.
A lifetime cap on benefits coverage will only hurt those who need those benefits the most.
I am biased, but I think it is ridiculous for the Company to demand these cuts while continuing to make huge profits.
It seems that CN is hoping for the government to legislate us back to work and force binding arbitration, where they hope to force at least some of the cuts through. It is laughable to call that negotiating in good faith.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
CN is using traditional Bully techniques.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Lots of pressure on the Federal government from various groups including the Alberta government, farmers, and shippers to legislate an end to the strike. To Trudeau's credit (so far anyway) he hasn't bowed to the pressure. Back to work legislation would perhaps provide a short term fix while ensuring that management-worker relations remain poor for years to come.
Best of luck 'Dude! And stay warm on that picket line!
SD70Dude The Company is demanding the elimination of restrictions on what work Conductor-only crews can perform, and the elimination or reduction of the ways we can take rest or time off work. The overall effect would be the elimination of a lot of jobs, with the fewer remaining employees forced to work harder and work longer hours.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy Siding SD70Dude The Company is demanding the elimination of restrictions on what work Conductor-only crews can perform, and the elimination or reduction of the ways we can take rest or time off work. The overall effect would be the elimination of a lot of jobs, with the fewer remaining employees forced to work harder and work longer hours. Can you explain what a conductor only crew is?
Can you explain what a conductor only crew is?
Self explanatory - Conductor ONLY, with a belt-pac to operate the engine.
Basically abigger version of what you would use to fly a drone with appropriate controls for a train. The equipment is a bit heavier and is hung by a strap around the neck.
FIRE ALL OF THEM!!!!
caldreamer FIRE ALL OF THEM!!!!
Lol ok
BaltACD Murphy Siding SD70Dude The Company is demanding the elimination of restrictions on what work Conductor-only crews can perform, and the elimination or reduction of the ways we can take rest or time off work. The overall effect would be the elimination of a lot of jobs, with the fewer remaining employees forced to work harder and work longer hours. Can you explain what a conductor only crew is? Self explanatory - Conductor ONLY, with a belt-pac to operate the engine.
It's a bit different. Remote-control yard crews (commonly referred to as Beltpaks) consist of a Yard Conductor and a Switchman, it is the Engineer's job that was eliminated here. Beltpaks are expected to perform the same work as a yard crew with a Engineer, but it usually takes longer because you only have two sets of eyes instead of three. If you have an Engineer they can take responsibility for protecting the point at their end of the movement, leaving the Conductor and Switchman both free to do other things. In my experience you need at least three people to switch efficiently, one at each end of the movement and the other in the middle to line switches and couple/uncouple cars.
Conductor-only crews consist of a Engineer and Conductor. The Conductor-only agreement dates from the elimination of cabooses around 1990. It contains many restrictions on what Conductor-only crews can do. Basically, they are only required to do straight pickups and setoffs, and can only make three enroute pickups or setoffs. Any additional switching requires a Brakeman to be called as well (bad order cars are exempt from this). Roadswitcher crews and other trains that perform lots of switching have to be called with a Brakeman.
Among other things, the Company is seeking to eliminate most, if not all of the Conductor-only restrictions. This isn't new, they have tried to get this in the last several rounds of negotiations.
I should also note that the Company has been violating this and many other provisions of the Agreement on a daily basis for many years, ever since Hunter Harrison came here. In particular the Conductor-only violations became so common that a Arbitrator agreed to impose financial penalties on CN, which currently stand at 400 thrufreight miles of pay for each violation. I believe it is broken down to 200 miles to the violated Conductor, 100 miles to the Brakeman who was first out on the spareboard and should have been called, and 100 miles to the Union to cover the administrative costs of grieving the violation (1 mile of pay = just over $2.00 CDN in this case).
Thank you, Dude, for the dissertation on conductor only crews. I have the impression that Mr. Harrison had little, if any concern for the crews, but much concern for reducing the bottom line.
Johnny
Great explanations SD70Dude.. thanks for taking the time..
SD70DudeI should also note that the Company has been violating this and many other provisions of the Agreement on a daily basis for many years, ever since Hunter Harrison came here. In particular the Conductor-only violations became so common that a Arbitrator agreed to impose financial penalties on CN, which currently stand at 400 thrufreight miles of pay for each violation. I believe it is broken down to 200 miles to the violated Conductor, 100 miles to the Brakeman who was first out on the spareboard and should have been called, and 100 miles to the Union to cover the administrative costs of grieving the violation (1 mile of pay = just over $2.00 CDN in this case).
Historically in many cases, companies sign labor contracts which specify any number of procedures as being inside or outside what the contract specifies.
Almost from the moment of signing, the company takes the position that they will do the very things that they signed the contract the prohibited them from doing. So much for integrity.
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