The union representing 100,000 rail workers at Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC) have voted to reauthorize a strike. 

Nearly 99% of workers voted in favor of reauthorization, according to a June 20 release from the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). Although this does not necessarily mean a strike will happen, the vote gives the TCRC the authority to call for one within the next 60 days if ongoing labor negotiations with CN and CPKC fall through.

“CN and CPKC are trying to force changes to our collective agreements that would move the clock back on working conditions and rail safety," TCRC president Paul Boucher said. "The Teamsters are trying to stop them. With this renewed strike mandate, we intend to go back to the bargaining table, work with federal mediators, and do everything in our power to reach a fair deal for our members and protect all Canadians."

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Rail workers had initially authorized a strike on May 1, setting a May 22 deadline to come to an agreement. But days before that could happen, Canada labor minister Seamus O'Regan Jr. asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to look at potential impacts to critical shipments in the event of a work stoppage. That pushed back any possible strike indefinitely, pending the open-ended timeline of the CIRB's review. With the original 60-day strike authorization period that began on May 1 expiring on June 30, the union ultimately decided to move forward with a new vote rather than continue waiting on the CIRB. 

CN and CPKC have been locked in a disagreement with the union over how to move forward. The union had asked to stagger negotiations between them and the two railways by two weeks, which they said would have minimized supply chain disruptions. The railways then pushed for a process known as binding arbitration, where both sides would give final say on any agreement to an independent mediator. Both proposals were rejected by the opposing side. 

A rail worker strike would have wide-ranging impacts on trade both in Canada and across North America. According to the Railway Association of Canada, more than half the country's exports are moved by rail each year. A work stoppage could lead to increases in prices for any number of essential goods, stall trade across borders, and lead to backups at major ports.