London rail workers picket as Canadian rail yards shut down

Members of the Teamsters Union picket at the Elias Street entrance of the CPKC yard in London, August 22, 2024 (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

Two locations in London were the site of local Teamster pickets on Thursday.

Canada’s two largest railroads have ground to a halt after an ongoing labor dispute couldn't be resolved before a deadline.

About 40 CN workers were picketing at the company's Southern Ontario Operations Centre on Egerton Street.

Meanwhile, just over two dozen Teamsters were demonstrating at the entrance of the CPKC rail yard on Elias Street, near Quebec Street, with security on hand to monitor the picketers.

Canadian National and CPKC have shut down all their trains in Canada and halted shipments into the U.S. after failing to reach new agreements with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union by an overnight deadline.

The rail yard in London on Thursday reflected this national halt, standing almost completely still, with few cars being shuttled around by members of management.

If unresolved, the impasse could bring significant economic harm to business and consumers across both countries, which rely on billions of dollars of goods running on trains each month.

On hand for the local strikes today were education workers from CUPE Local 7575, who turned out at the CN picket line to offer support. Their offices are nearby, and they’ve opened them up to the Teamster members who need a break from the sun or the use of washroom facilities.

CUPE 7575 President Rebecca Avey told CTV News, “: "I think everybody remembers what happened back in November with education workers and standing up for workers rights. Every day since, we are here to support our fellow brothers, sisters and comrades in their fight for fair and safe workplaces."

At this point, the big questions are how long the shutdown will last and whether the government will intervene.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union represents about 10,000 engineers, conductors and dispatchers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promising to find the right solution quickly to protect the economy.

- with files from the Canadian Press