Canada Industrial Relations Board Orders Halt to Railway Work Stoppages

The Canada Industrial Relations Board intervened to stop work stoppages at Canada's largest railways, ending major service disruptions. The decision affects more than 9,000 Teamsters members and the main freight rail carriers, CN and CPKC. The board ordered binding arbitration and continuation of existing contracts until new agreements are reached.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board issued an order on Saturday to halt work stoppages at the nation's largest railways, marking the end of significant service disruptions at the main freight rail carriers.

The independent labor tribunal made this decision after the government requested it intervene in the stalled negotiations between over 9,000 Teamsters members and Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). In addition to halting the work stoppages, the board mandated binding arbitration and the continuation of existing contracts until new agreements are formed.

The decision follows a heated labor dispute that led to CN and CPKC locking out Teamsters members, triggering a rail stoppage that business groups warned could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damage, severely impacting Canada's agriculture sector.

(With inputs from agencies.)