Canada Forces Arbitration in Freight Train Labor Dispute to Avert Economic Crisis. Union Cries Foul

BRAMPTON, CANADA – AUGUST 22: Locked out railway workers demonstrate outside of the CN Rail Brampton yard on August 22, 2024 in Brampton ON, Canada. For the first time in history, Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) locked out nearly 10,000 workers after labor negotiations broke down on Thursday. (Photo by Ian Willms/Getty Images)

TORONTO (AP) — The Canadian government has ordered the country’s two major freight railroads to enter binding arbitration with their labor union to resolve a contract dispute. Shortly following Thursday’s announcement, Canadian National and CPKC both said they would work quickly to get trains running again as soon as possible. Trains came to a halt earlier Thursday after the lockout. The union representing 10,000 engineers, conductors and dispatchers responded angrily to the order, accusing the railroads of intentionally creating a crisis to force the government to intervene. Workers remain on the picket line while the union reviews the decision.