Teamsters Canada members reject CP contract renewal proposal

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference-Train & Engine (TCRC-T&E) union on Wednesday announced its members rejected a proposed one-year contract renewal deal reached with Canadian Pacific on Sept. 6.

Of 1,725 ballots cast, 1,158 voted "no" and 567 voted "yes" to ratify the agreement.

CP and the TCRC-T&E — which represents 3,000 of the Class I's Canadian conductors and engineers — had agreed on a one-year renewal of a contract that's set to expire Dec. 31. The extended pact would have offered the workers a number of benefits and certainty over the next year, yet protected the interests of current and future customers, according to the railroad.

CP leaders expressed disappointment that TCRC-T&E members rejected the agreement, and stressed they plan to meet with union officials to discuss the voting results and review ways to renew the pact.

"We look forward to working with the union membership to better understand this result and to discuss next steps," said CP President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel in a press release. "We remain optimistic that we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement with the TCRC-T&E."

The Class I has successfully negotiated a number of long-term agreements this year ahead of expiration, CP officials said. The agreements centered on a “common vision” that was in the best interests of the railroad’s workers, customers and shareholders, and the one-year proposal to the TCRC-T&E was an early offer that was consistent with that approach, they said.