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On March 26, the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) certified results of a winner-take-all election under which 2,800 Canadian Pacific Railway running trade workers previously represented by the United Transportation Union chose to be represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). In addition, 1,600 CPR locomotive engineers favored Teamsters representation.

In January, a majority of the 4,400 workers voted to dissolve the Canadian Counsel of Railway Operating Unions (CCROU) — which comprised UTU and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers-Canada — and establish the TCRC (formerly BLE-Canada) as their representative.

UTU officials — who sought the election — still are awaiting the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal's review of CIRB's decision to reword documents prior to mailing representation election to the workers in December.

In the meantime, TCRC officials are awaiting CIRB's decision on its applications to represent CPR and Canadian National Railway Co. maintenance-of-way employees now represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes. If the union wins the right to hold an election and MOW workers vote in TCRC's favor, its membership would expand to 12,000.