Injunctions
sought today by CPRail to prevent picketing at two of its facilities
were denied
May
18, 2007
Ottawa, ON:
Sheppard
Intermodal Yard in Calgary AB and the Vancouver Intermodal Facility
in Pitt Meadows, BC have been paralyzed by the Teamster Canada
Rail Conference Maintenance of Way Employees (TCRC MWED)‘s
pickets.
TCRC
MWED members were extremely happy today when judges in both Alberta
and British Columbia upheld their right to lawfully picket CPRail
Intermodal facilities, despite the company’s fervent objections.
William
Brehl, President of the TCRC MWED, said,
“We
are glad that the courts recognize the necessity of our ability
to picket CPRail, as this is an important and fundamental facet
of the right to strike. We intend to stay on these picket lines
until there is a resolve to this dispute”
The
TCRC MWED began a legal strike at 11:59 PM, MDT, Tuesday May 15th,
2007, after talks had broken off with CPRail. Their contract expired
on December 31st, 2006.
The
nation wide strike has crippled several intermodal facilities
and even though the railway has reported that the labor disruption
was simply "a mild irritation" to intermodal truckers,
striking union members have been able to practically shut down
traffic at the Vancouver terminal through 24 hour picketing.
Injunctions
were granted at Winnipeg, MB, Edmonton, AB and Vaughan Yard, ON
and have caused picketing to be limited at these facilities, though
extensive delays in the operation are still reported.
Pickets
are also set up at dozens of other locations across the country,
including Regina,SK where the intermodal facility is backed up
and also experiencing lengthy delays.
“As
the third day of the strike is coming to an end, we are seeing
more and more of an impact. Though CPR has repeatedly stated that
the strike is having little effect, it is obvious that this is
not the case.” states Brehl,
“However,
the Union has expressed to the federally appointed mediator that
it is still open to productive bargaining if the company is willing.”
Further
information please contact:
William
(Bill) Brehl
Telephone (613) 733-4456
Facsimile (613) 526-5149
Cellular (519) 819-1530
wbrehl@tcrcmwed.ca
