Union warns labour code changes demanded by industry would gut strike rights
Union officials are sounding the alarm about an effort by transport industry leaders to rein in workers' ability to strike.
Teamsters Canada, which represents 16,000 railway employees, on Tuesday criticized calls by the country's two main freight railways for the federal government to take proposed changes to the Canada Labour Code a step further.
Last week, representatives from Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. asked a Senate special committee to amend legislation so that Ottawa could impose binding arbitration before a work stoppage even begins, pre-empting any major disruption.
The Liberal government's Bill C-39 includes language that would clarify a minister's power to use Section 107 of the labour code to order a company under federal jurisdiction to resume operations, or put parties into arbitration — but not until after workers hit the picket line.
Teamsters Canada president Paul Boucher argued that governments should keep out of labour disputes altogether and claimed that industry's latest asks would rob workers of their right to strike.
"It's against our rights to free collective bargaining," he said in a phone interview from Toronto.
During talks, the economic pressure of a potential job action is key to union leverage and gains for workers, he said. "Taking that right away and going straight to arbitration does not put that pressure on the companies."
CN Rail, Canadian Pacific, WestJet and others point out that the mere threat of a strike or lockout can bring operations to a near standstill. Opening a door to arbitration ahead of time could avoid massive disruptions in critical sectors, they say.
The Railway Association of Canada, which represents CN and Canadian Pacific, has warned of "significant damage" from work stoppages should the bill go ahead without tweaks.
"The government needs effective legal tools to protect all Canadians," the industry group said in a release. "This balance can be achieved in a way that fully respects collective bargaining and Canada’s Constitution."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2026.
Companies in this story: (TSX:CNR, TSX:CP)
By Christopher Reynolds | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.