Labour minister says too early for back-to-work legislation in CP Rail work stoppage

Federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan says he is choosing to be optimistic as negotiations continue between CP Rail and union representatives.

“They’re moving this along,” O'Regan told CTV News’ Power Play on Monday. “They’re plugging away at it. Nobody’s left the table.”

A CP Rail work stoppage began early Sunday and is affecting more than 3,000 conductors, engineers and yard workers. Both the company and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union are blaming each other for the stoppage, which threatens to push a wide range of prices up at a time when inflation is already at a three-decade high in Canada.

Despite the potential economic fallout, O'Regan says it is too early to consider tabling back-to-work legislation.

“I wouldn’t raise back-to-work legislation very flippantly because, you know, in effect what that means is you’re taking away the rights of workers,” the Newfoundland Member of Parliament said. “The courts basically say, look, you’ve got to show that there are immediate consequences, that there are prolonged consequences, that it goes against the national interest, and that the parties aren’t at the table doing what they need to do to get a deal. That is not the case here—they haven’t left the table.”

O'Regan spoke to CTV News from Calgary, where CP Rail and union representatives are meeting. Negotiations for a new contract began in September. The union says the main sticking points have been wages, pensions and work conditions.

“I am here in Calgary basically to remind them as well, I think, of the best interest of Canadians, which is we want a deal now—this cannot be prolonged,” O'Regan said. “We’ve a saying in Newfoundland, ‘My nerves are rubbed raw.’ And I think considering everything that Canadians have been through over the past couple of years, their nerves are rubbed raw. This is not the time.”

Watch the extended Power Play interview with O’Regan above or here.

With files from the Canadian Press