Roundup: Labour dispute over, now begin the court challenges

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The rail labour dispute and trains are expected to start rolling again today as the Canadian Industrial Relations Board issued their ruling after nearly two full days of deliberation, saying that they had agreed to impose binding arbitration in the situation, ending the CPKC lockout and the strike notice at CN. It may be a couple of weeks before things are fully up and running because of the phased shutdown over the past two weeks in preparation for the lockout (and yes, this began as a lockout by the duopoly that controls something like 80 percent of the rail in this country).

The Teamsters, predictably, are not happy with this outcome, accusing the government of breaking unions (which is not how I would describe this particular situation) and plan to take this to the Federal Court, where the Board said that particular complaints should be directed because they have the legislated authority to deal with certain issues that the Board does not, particularly when it comes to questions of the Board’s discretion around the minister’s directives. No doubt we’ll see that play out over the next year or two. But for now, the conflict is over, the arbitration process will begin, and we’ll see how the arbitrators feel about the particular complaints the union has made around fatigue management and forced relocation, which the rail companies dispute.

Ukraine Dispatch

Russia launched a drone attack against Kyiv early Monday morning, but all ten were shot down. Overnight attacks on Saturday killed four and injured 37. A Russian missile hit a hotel in Kramatorsk, where a number of journalists were staying. Three Reuters journalists were injured, and their British security advisor was killed in the strike. Over 100 prisoners were swapped on Saturday, which was Ukraine’s independence day.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau and his Cabinet are in Halifax for a Cabinet retreat in advance of the fall sitting of Parliament and the many, many things they need to get passed.
  • US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was at the Cabinet retreat, calling for more defence spending and tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.
  • Sean Fraser announced 56 federal government properties that they will lease for conversion to housing projects (but details remain scarce).
  • Fraser also says that they will rein in the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers (but again, few details were offered).
  • Susan Delacourt and Matt Gurney discuss the (never-ending) Cabinet shuffle speculation, and how much of it is driven by the “joy-envy” coming from the US.

Odds and ends:

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One thought on “Roundup: Labour dispute over, now begin the court challenges”

  1. Yep, it’s “Slava Ukrani” day. Like Trudeau, all leaders of all NATO countries are acknowledging this day in their social media posts. But what are you doing to celebrate Ukraine’s independence? Why not greet your friends and family with “Slavi Ukrani?” Your co-workers at the office? Let everyone know you stand with Ukraine

    FYI the term “Slava Ukraini. Heroiam Slava” (Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!) accompanied by a hand salute originated in the 1930’s by Ukrainian nationalists. It was based on similar greetings and salutes by the Nazis in Germany. In other words, Slava Ukrani is the Ukrainian equivalent of “Seig Heil”. When tens of thousands of Ukranian Jews were being executed by Ukrainian nationalists beginning in 1941, the last words they heard were “Slava Ukrani”.

    So yeah, let’s make it a Slava Ukrani day.

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