MOW Canadian employees now Members of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference
Teamsters Canada wishes to inform the media and the population that the bargaining rights retained by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) in Canada have been transferred to Teamsters Canada according to Section 43 of the Canada Labour Code.
Indeed, the BMWE Canadian members have expressed their wi***o join Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC - MWED), in spite of repeated attempts by the United Steelworkers of America (Steelworkers) to delay the certification process concerning TCRC-MWED’s applications filed in 2003. Because of the Steelworkers’ actions, negotiations for the renewal of the maintenance of way employees’ collective agreement still remain in a deadlock.
The situation that has been dragging on because of the Steelworkers’ interference did not serve the Canadian rail workers’ best interests.
A transition committee lead by Teamsters Canada representatives is currently in place. During this transition period, the actual union structure will be maintained. Furthermore, union dues paid by maintenance of way employees will remain in Canada and there will be no dues increase. It will be up to this transition committee to decide, if eventually, changes should be made regarding union representatives.
If everything goes as planned and without legal impediment, very soon, Teamsters Canada could be welcoming more than 6,000 new members, in addition to the 7,000 or so locomotive engineers, train conductors and rail traffic controllers who are already TCRC members, for a total of 13,000 members.
Teamsters Canada would like to thank all Canadian local unions, organizers and representatives, for their support throughout this campaign. We could not have achieved our goal without collective efforts.
Over the last few months, we have witnessed the Teamsters’ collective ability to stand united in the pursuit