More than 3,000 striking Canadian Pacific Railway workers may be forced to abandon the picket lines if Ottawa introduces legislation on Monday forcing them back to work.

A government source told The Canadian Press the federal government will table back-to-work legislation Monday morning to end the strike.

Workers walked off the job Sunday after contract talks failed to reach an agreement before the midnight deadline. The Teamsters union represents approximately 3,300 locomotive engineers and other CP train workers.

Monday's bill will be presented by Labour Minister Kellie Leitch, who took part in the failed negotiation. She says the government is prepared to act quickly to end the strike that could severely impact the Canadian economy.

"Due to this reckless disregard for Canadians, and the Canadian economy, our government will review all available options to end any work-stoppage expediently, up to and including the introduction of legislation in Parliament," Leitch said in a statement issued on Saturday after talks broke down.

If the strike is allowed to continue, an estimated $30 million is at stake every day. In Canada, a number of commodities and goods, including crude oil and grain, are moved by rail.

A CP Rail spokesperson has previously said it would deploy management personnel to run a reduced freight service, but CP’s vice-president of labour relations Peter Edwards told The Canadian Press he doesn't know how many trains would be running.

According to University of Ottawa business and law professor Gilles LeVasseur, the stoppage means many Canadians will likely be affected by the strike.

"These types of strikes, because they are so fundamental to the Canadian economic system, have a major impact on the society, so we cannot let the system be affected even though we have a right to strike," LeVasseur told CTV News on Sunday.

The strike will also impact commuters.

In the Montreal area, for example, approximately 19,000 people rely on commuter trains. Buses are expected to be deployed on Monday, but officials told CTV News there may not be enough vehicles to move commuters.

Meanwhile, Via Rail said in a statement issued on Sunday that the Teamsters strike is not expected to significantly affect service.

If a back-to-work-legislation is introduced on Monday, workers say it may jeopardize any possibility of a fair agreement being reached. They say they want to be able to take a break after operating a train for 10 consecutive hours.

"It seems to take away any kind of ambition the company might have to come to the table and bargain in a good faith," worker Doug Faith told CTV News. "The main sticking points are work life balance and crews having adequate rest."

Teamsters president Douglas Finnson told The Canadian Press he was disappointed by the bill, calling it "premature and unnecessary."

The bill was also denounced by NDP Labour critic Alexandre Boulerice, who said it stripped workers of their right to strike.

"It will put public safety at risk, since the problem of long hours and fatigue among those conductors will not be resolved," he told The Canadian Press.

If the legislation is passed, CP Rail workers could be back to work by the end of the week.

No new talks have been scheduled, but Leitch has said she is hopeful an agreement can be reached.

This is not the first time CP Rail employees have been forced to end a strike. In 2012, Ottawa ordered employees back to work after a nine-day strike.

With files from CTV News' Vanessa Lee and The Canadian Press