Unifor moves toward strike at VIA Rail

Unifor is preparing a vote to strike at VIA Rail Canada in the coming weeks, after the union and the passenger railroad company failed to come to an agreement on a labor contract during negotiations.

A 60-day conciliation period facilitated by federal officers ends May 31 and is followed by a 21-day cooling-off period. If a tentative agreement is not reached, Unifor could begin a legal strike on June 22. Strike votes will take place over the coming weeks, Unifor officials said in a press release.

During negotiations that occurred May 6-9, VIA Rail maintained nearly all its concessionary proposals, dropping a few minor items, union officials said. The proposals include changes to working rules that would “strip away protections, weaken scheduling rights, and undermine job security across the system,” Unifor officials said.

“VIA Rail has a choice to make. It can continue wasting time and damaging its credibility. Or it can return to the table on May 26 prepared to bargain seriously and respectfully,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

As part of the collective agreement renewal process, negotiations will continue with the assistance of conciliators, VIA Rail officials said in an emailed statement.  The approximately 2,400 union-represented employees of VIA Rail work in stations, on trains, at maintenance centers, the customer center and administrative offices. 

"VIA Rail remains committed to holding these negotiations in good faith in an effort to reach a new agreement so that we can avoid any disruption of service," VIA Rail officials said. "Our employees are key contributors to the corporation’s success, and we remain focused on negotiating a fair and reasonable contract while staying competitive and continuing to deliver the high-quality service our customers expect."