PORT MOODY, British Columbia — A rally and picnic was held at Rocky Point Park here Sept. 6 by rail workers fighting against Canadian government intervention ending their strike at the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroads. They’re fighting against dangerous working conditions that threaten workers and those who live by the tracks.
“Working on the railway is arduous. Ten-hour days with no overtime pay. No defined lunch break — we eat as we go. A large portion of what the company considers to be our days off are spent away from our families and without pay,” said Dustin Saunders, an engineer at Canadian National and the local chair of the engineers’ division of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Division 945. “This isn’t what CN or CPKC are asking for in their contract offers. This is what they already have. They are trying to take even more from us.
“The rail barons do not accept fatigue as being a safety issue,” he said. “Fatigue to them is a behavior issue. If the worker is tired, it is the worker’s fault.
“But safety is nonnegotiable. We already have grueling on-call schedules and each of us has a full understanding of the reality of fatigue-related accidents and mishaps,” Saunders said. “We will not allow the companies to value profits over people.”
The union is challenging the government’s order stopping their strike and imposing binding arbitration.
Greetings were brought by Sussanne Skidmore, president of the B.C. Federation of Labour, and Janet Andrews, secretary-treasurer of the New Westminster and District Labour Council.