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On June 8, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) certified the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), Maintenance of Way Division as the bargaining representative for 3,000 Canadian Pacific Railway MOW workers. The CPR workers previously were represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE).

Last year, TCRC filed an application with the CIRB to represent the workers after reaching a merger agreement with BMWE's Canadian arm. The United Steelworkers of America also filed an application to represent the CPR employees after BMWE's collective agreement with the Class I expired.

CIRB rejected the Steelworkers' application because the union did not obtain sufficient support from the workers, according to a prepared statement.

Board members still are considering applications from TCRC and the steelworkers union to represent Canadian National Railway Co.'s MOW workers. Also, BMWE officials plan to continue negotiating a merger agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters governing MOW workers at U.S. railroads.

"I am optimistic that if all goes well, the maintenance of way employees of the two countries will soon be united under the banner of the Teamsters," said BMWE Acting President Freddie Simpson.