Talks continue after Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) received a 72-hour strike notice from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
The IBEW Canadian Signals and Communications System Council No. 11, the union representing approximately 300 Signals & Communications employees across Canada, issued the strike notice following a 96% strike mandate vote by members.
The union has indicated that it intends to strike at 08:00 MDT on Sunday, May 31, 2026, if an agreement is not reached.
The union has raised concerns about wages, employees' work-related expenses, and work-life balance issues linked to extensive on-call obligations and demanding schedules.
CPKC noted that negotiations will continue into the weekend, stating, “We remain committed to bargaining in good faith with IBEW in order to reach a negotiated outcome that is in the best interests of our employees and their families, our customers, and the company.”
The company has made proposals that include wage and benefit increases consistent with collective agreements currently in place with its other unions across Canada.
At this stage, CPKC has not announced a shutdown of operations. The railway stated that safe and efficient railway operations will continue.
At Cole International, we offer trade consulting services to help Canadian businesses manage the movement of their shipments without disruption.
Reach out to one of our trade professionals to discuss how we can support you if your shipments are affected by changes to rail service.