Trains halt across Canada as union workers strike

OTTAWA (AP) — The union and CP Rail blamed each other for a work stoppage Sunday that saw trains come to halt across Canada.

More than 3,000 CP Rail conductors, engineers, train and yard workers represented by Teamsters Canada Rail Conference are off the job after a midnight deadline set by the company to agree on a contract failed to secure a deal.

The two sides say they were still talking with federal mediators.

The union said in a statement that the company had locked the workers out, but later issued another statement saying that the workers were also on strike.

The original statement posted to the TCRC website late Saturday said the union wanted to continue bargaining but the company "chose to put the Canadian supply chain and tens of thousands of jobs at risk"

"As Canadians grapple with a never-ending pandemic, exploding commodity prices and the war in Ukraine, the rail carrier is adding an unnecessary layer of insecurity, especially for those who depend on the rail network," the statement said.

CP Rail, Canada's second-largest railroad operator, said it was the company that wanted to keep talking past the midnight deadline, and the union that pulled its employees off the job.

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