Employees Locked Out, Rail Shutdown Commences
Trains across the country have come to a standstill as 9,300 workers were locked out by both of Canada’s major railways after failing to agree on a new contract before a 12:01 a.m. EDT deadline.
This shutdown marks the first-ever simultaneous work stoppage at Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City.
The Railway Association of Canada reports that this shutdown halts about $1 billion in goods traffic each day, some of which was preemptively stopped to avoid having cargo stranded in the event of a stoppage.
Transit authorities have announced that select commuter lines running on Canadian Pacific tracks in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver will be suspended.
Business groups are calling on the government to intervene by imposing binding arbitration and preventing strikes and lockouts while negotiations are ongoing.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had urged both sides to reach a deal at the bargaining table on Wednesday.
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