**Union Announces Appeal of Federal Court Ruling**
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has upheld Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon’s decision to terminate the work stoppages at Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). This ruling mandates that both railroads restart their operations and enter into binding arbitration with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) to negotiate new contract terms.
Operations are set to resume by 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, August 26, while the labor contract that lapsed on December 31, 2023, will be extended until a new agreement is reached. The arbitration process will commence with a meeting with the CIRB on Thursday, August 29, at 11 a.m. ET.
Reacting to the decision on Saturday, August 24, the union has stated it will comply with the ruling, but also plans to appeal the CIRB’s decision in federal court.
“This ruling by the CIRB establishes a troubling precedent,” said TCRC President Paul Boucher. “It conveys to major corporations that they can halt operations for a brief period, inflict temporary economic hardship, and the federal government will step in to suppress union activities. The rights of Canadian workers have been seriously undermined today.”
In a statement, Canadian National expressed its intent to follow the order but highlighted its disappointment over the failure to reach an agreement through negotiations. “While CN is disappointed an agreement could not be reached at the bargaining table, the company is content that this order effectively ends the unpredictability that has hindered supply chains for months.”
Similarly, CPKC confirmed it would comply with the ruling and lift the lockout imposed on August 22. The railroad urged TCRC employees to return for the day shift on Sunday, August 25, stating, “We want to get the Canadian economy moving again as quickly as possible to prevent further disruptions to supply chains.” CPKC noted that while the CIRB ruling alleviates ongoing uncertainty, it may take “several weeks” for the rail network to fully recover and even longer for supply chains to stabilize.
The CIRB clarified in its dual rulings—one for each railroad—that it lacks the authority to review the minister’s directives or evaluate their legality, as such matters fall within judicial jurisdiction. The CIRB also indicated it has no discretion to refuse or amend the minister’s directives.
Minister MacKinnon announced the move to arbitration on Thursday, August 22—approximately 17 hours after both railroads locked out TCRC members. Rail operations were temporarily suspended as CPKC awaited the CIRB’s decision before implementing its plans to resume services, while the union maintained its picket lines at that railway during this period. CN lifted its lockout on Thursday at 6 p.m., after which the union signaled a return to work but subsequently issued a strike notice effective 10 a.m. on Monday, August 26, as it awaited the CIRB’s ruling, aiming to pressure CN into negotiations.
CN’s statement emphasized that the CIRB ruling prohibits any further labor stoppages during the arbitration process, nullifying the TCRC’s strike notice. MacKinnon shared on social media platform X that he anticipated the railroads and employees would “resume operations at the earliest opportunity.”
