Picket line arrests merit public inquiry

May 31, 2007

Vancouver - Tuesday’s arrest of six members of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) members on strike against CP Rail in Coquitlam merits a full public inquiry into the railway’s use of private police, says B.C. Federation of Labour President, Jim Sinclair.

The arrest of the six strikers who were picketing legally on public property was “outrageous behaviour on behalf of CP Rail,” Sinclair said. “They took the law into their own hands.”

This shows no respect for the people working to keep our railways safe for $42,000 per year while the CP Rail CEO makes $4 million. TCRC President, Bill Brehl, told a Vancouver news conference that his union is taking civil and criminal action to protect the rights of their members who have been picketing legally at this location since May 15th, without incident. He released a Teamster video of the police incident, which clearly showed a peaceful, legal action of the union pickets and their subsequent arrest.

Brehl praised his members for their peaceful behaviour in resisting CP Rail police provocation. “No employer should have it’s own police force,” Brehl said. “This is an issue of intimidation, harassment and abuse of power.”

Sinclair was joined in support of the Teamsters by ILWU Canada, President Tom Dufresne, and CEP Western Region Vice-President, Don McNeil.

For more information on this dispute, please go to this page.