Via Rail workers give Unifor strike mandate, could take action as soon as June 22

New passenger trains sit on the tracks at the Via Rail Canada Maintenance Centre in Montreal, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi)

MONTREAL — Unifor says almost 98 per cent of the Via Rail workers it represents have voted to give the union the power to launch a strike next month.

The union says members belonging to Unifor Council 4000 and Local 100 gave it a 97.5 per cent strike mandate.

Council 4000 represents 1,800 workers in Via Rail stations, call centres, administrative offices and onboard service, while Local 100’s members include 700 skilled trades and mechanical workers.

The strike mandate does not mean these workers will immediately walk off the job because the union is going through a federal conciliation process.

Unifor says the conciliation period which ends May 31 will be followed by a 21-day cooling-off, so it won’t be able to strike before June 22.

The union alleges the company is pushing for major concessions and has failed to meet its members’ monetary demands.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.

The Canadian Press