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Teamsters union files strike notice for CN workers

starting

Monday

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CN says trains are resuming operations

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Labour Minister asks CIRB to issue back-to-work order

By Allison Lampert, David Ljunggren

MONTREAL/OTTAWA, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The union

representing workers at Canadian National Railway ( CNI ) said

on Friday they would strike next week, in a fresh threat to the

economy after vowing to challenge a government decision to end

an unprecedented rail stoppage.

The Teamsters union filed notice that conductors,

locomotive engineers and other workers at Montreal-based CN

would strike on Monday, just days after returning to work on

Friday.

A Canadian government official had no immediate comment.

A CN spokesperson said trains were starting to run and the

company's plan to resume operations was under way.

"We are focused on getting back to work," said Jonathan

Abecassis, CN's spokesperson. "The Teamsters are focused on

getting back to the picket line."

The looming strike is the latest twist in a labor dispute at

Canada's top two railroads, which locked out more than 9,000

unionized workers on Thursday, triggering a simultaneous rail

stoppage that business groups said could inflict hundreds of

millions of dollars in

economic damage

.

A lockout at rival Canadian Pacific Kansas City ( CP )

has yet to be officially lifted after the Canadian government

moved on Thursday to end the rail stoppage, which for the first

time involved both railways simultaneously.

The dispute led Canada's Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to ask

the Canada Industrial Relations Board to issue a back-to-work

order. Union and railroad officials met with the CIRB, an

independent body, on Friday morning, the Teamsters said on

social media site X.

Teamsters spokesperson Chris Monette said by phone earlier in

the day that the union would challenge the constitutionality of

the minister's referral, without giving details.

Monette said CN workers would return to work on Friday,

although the union had not received any back-to-work protocol

from the railway.

"The return to work will be chaotic this morning," he said.

Monette said members from CPKC would not be back at work as

the railway had not yet ended its lockout.

CPKC said late on Thursday that it was preparing to restart

operations in Canada and that further details on timing would be

provided once it received the CIRB's order.