CIRB rail dispute decision: Joint statement

CIRB rail dispute decision: Joint statement

Premier Danielle Smith, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson and Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones issued the following statement on the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) decision to order operations to resume at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC) and continue at Canadian National Railway (CN):

“Alberta’s government is pleased that the CIRB ordered operations to resume at CPKC and continue at CN while the disputes proceed to binding arbitration.

“Each day this disruption continued would have had devastating impacts on our economy, workers, businesses, families, farmers and our relationships with Canada’s valued trading partners.

“Since the beginning of the dispute, Alberta’s government called on the federal government to end the work stoppage by either ordering binding arbitration in the dispute or passing back-to-work legislation.

“Going forward, we encourage the federal government to continue to respond quickly to labour disputes that have the potential to create widespread damage to Canadians, our country’s economy and our reputation as a reliable trading partner.”