Rail Shutdown: Federal Government Forces Binding Arbitration

The federal government is intervening in the railway labour dispute to force arbitration and have the trains moving again. “As minister of labour, I’m using my authorities under the Canada Labour Code to secure industrial peace and deliver the short and long term solutions that are in the national interest,” MacKinnon said on Aug. 22. The minister said he’s using section 107 of the Labour Code to direct the Canada Industrial Relations Board to help in having the parties settle the outstanding terms of disagreement by imposing final binding arbitration. “I have also directed the board to extend the term of the current collective agreements until new agreements have been signed and for operations on both railways to resume forthwith,” he said....