CP Rail and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – the union that represents approximately 3-thousand CP Rail workers – remain in a labour dispute.
After multiple days of negotiations, both sides have not reached an agreement on a new deal or binding arbitration by the midnight Eastern time deadline, therefore a shutdown of operations has begun.
Negotiations with a mediator are expected to continue today (Sun).
CP Rail issued a 72-hour lock-out notice to the union on Wednesday, after they tabled an offer to address 26 issues, which the union rejected. Both sides are blaming each other for the stoppage.
Key issues include wages, pensions, and whether a federally mandated break period can be taken on the road or has to be given when employees are at home.
Many organizations, including the Saskatchewan Rural Municipalities Association (SARM), called on Ottawa to step in and halt the shut-down.
SARM President Ray Orb said a lock-out would seriously disrupt prairie grain exports, causing a serious blow to the Saskatchewan economy.
Premier Scott Moe and Agriculture Minister Dave Marit both suggested Ottawa use binding arbitration to try and head off a shut-down.