Alberta premier, cabinet ministers issue joint statement supporting binding arbitration in rail worker strike

Alberta’s premier and several cabinet ministers issued a statement Sunday morning in support of a move to implement binding arbitration to help resolve the rail workers’ strike, while the Teamsters union said on social media that they would comply with the order.

Alberta’s premier and several cabinet ministers issued a statement Sunday morning in support of a move to implement binding arbitration to help resolve the rail workers’ strike, while the Teamsters union said on social media that they would comply with the order.

Premier Danielle Smith, Transportation and Economic Corridors minister Devin Dreeshen, Agricultre and Irrigation minister RJ Sigurdson and Jobs, Economy and Trade mininister Matt Jones released the statement following the decision by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order operations to resume at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC) and to continue at Canadian National Railway (CN).

“Alberta’s government is pleased that the CIRB ordered operations to resume at CPKC and continue at CN while the disputes proceed to binding arbitration.

“Each day this disruption continued would have had devastating impacts on our economy, workers, businesses, families, farmers and our relationships with Canada’s valued trading partners.

“Since the beginning of the dispute, Alberta’s government called on the federal government to end the work stoppage by either ordering binding arbitration in the dispute or passing back-to-work legislation.

“Going forward, we encourage the federal government to continue to respond quickly to labour disputes that have the potential to create widespread damage to Canadians, our country’s economy and our reputation as a reliable trading partner.”

CN trains started to move again Friday morning as workers started to return, even as the Teamsters union issued a 72-hour strike notice against CN just before 10 a.m.