WINNIPEG, Manitoba — An arbitrator has ordered Canadian National to reinvest in its Transcona Wheel Shop, return work to in-house, and compensate affected workers, the Unifor union said today.
The ruling stems from CN’s closure of the wheel shop, traction motor shop, and air brake shop at the yard in Winnipeg during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2022, with work then contracted out. The arbitrator ruled that CN violated its collective bargaining agreement with Unifor by failing to notify the union, to consult with it before moving ahead, and by undermining its ability to protect its members’ work. An earlier ruling found the violations were serious, not technical; a ruling on March 3 determined the remedy.
“This ruling is an important win for Unifor members and for the future of union rail work across the country,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a press release. “… The ruling forces real reinvestment, restores core union work, and sends a clear message that companies cannot erode Canadian industrial capacity without being held to account.”
The ruling requires CN to modernize the wheel shop, restore production to meet or exceed pre-shutdown levels, and hire at least 20 new union employees. It does not require reopening of the air brake and traction motor shops, but specifies that CN must bring 85% of heavy bad-order locomotive work back in-house in Canada. The majority of that work will remain at Transcona.
“The order to rebuild Wheel Shop production, add bargaining unit jobs, and keep this work here at home is about protecting livelihoods, preserving skills and community pride,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor western regional director.
CN declined to comment on the developments.
Unifor is Canada’s largest private-sector union, representing 320,000 workers across the economy.
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