With the economy off the rails, the Government looks to put CN workers back on them.

Citing “economic chaos”, the Conservative Government has introduced back to work legislation for CN workers currently on their fourteenth day on the picket lines. With Canada’s industrial giants, transportation companies and supplier groups all expressing frustration and concern for the country’s economic health, the government put forward its plans in the House of Commons today.

CN’s 2800 employees on strike are now involved in a nasty internal dispute between their Canadian local reps and the International leadership who were never in favour of the strike in the first place.

Earlier today, there were reports of some CN workers returning to work in the east while western union members remained on strike, union officials offered up a figure of 80 per cent for those members still on a picket line. The International leadership replaced the Canadian bargaining unit earlier this week and those negotiators suggest that a solution is in sight and that the legislated return to work won’t be needed.

However, with the economy starting show major fissures from the two week dispute, the Government intends to keep to its timetable which will have the motion up for a vote next week.

The Globe and Mail provided a helpful guide to the situation on its website today.

One person who won’t be voting for a back to work edict will be Nathan Cullen of the NDP and the Member of Parliament for BulkleyValley-Skeena. Cullen in the Daily news today objected to the measure, as he’s concerned about CN’s safety record and feels that the union is on strike as a reflection of CN’s lack of attention to matters of safety.

He outlined his thoughts on the situation in the Daily News on Friday.

CULLEN IS TO OPPOSE CN BACK TO WORK VOTE
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, February 23, 2007
Page one

Despite the $150,000-a-day in demurrage fees being paid by the Canadian Wheat Board and their suppliers while grain ships sit idle in Prince Rupert Harbour, Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen will not be supporting back-to-work legislation to end the rail strike.

The strike by the United Transportation Union, which is now entering it 13th day, has slowed CN Rail’s shipping across the country. In Prince Rupert, there are currently seven ships waiting to load grain and coal, the result of both poor rail performance during the past two months and strike action by the United Transportation Union. Five more ships are due in the next few days.

While Cullen admits that the strike has resulted in delays for mills in his riding that want to move their product to market and more than a million dollars in added costs for wheat producers, he believes the union has a number of legitimate safety concerns about the current CN Rail proposal.

“I have heard from some CN workers who say this is not about money for them, this is about safety,” said Cullen. “They’ve described what CN is proposing — to have them work almost twice as much and extend their hours into what I think is really dangerous territory.”

Cullen said if government steps in and breaks the strike, a threat being made by the Conservative Labour Minister (see story on page 2), it will result in an even worse safety record.
“(CN Rail’s) culture has changed fundamentally is the last four or five years as it has been taken over by American interests and there is very little interest in safety.”

A vote to legislate the UTU back to work is expected in the House some time next week.
Cullen said both the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois will oppose the legislation however the Liberals are keeping their cards close to their chests.

“I don’t know (what happens if the vote doesn’t get support) I doubt Mr. Harper would want to bring his government down on a rail strike, he might but I doubt,” said Cullen.

In the meantime, the NDP is supporting a private member’s bill that would ban replacement workers being employees, such as the ones CN Rail is using to keep some trains moving.
“There are a number of studies we have looked at ... it leads to more labour peace and more certainty for the employers,” said Cullen.

He added the NDP is investigating a number of complaints of breaches of the Transportation Safety Board rules because workers from the U.S. and management are allegedly operating trains “beyond the guidelines that are set out.”