So, the rail employees at CN -- or the conductors and yard workers, to be more exact -- are on strike again after rejecting the latest contract offer even though the union recommended acceptance. Frankly, I can't blame them for saying no -- who wants to go back to work on just a one year contract?
I can't help wonder if this could become an election issue, if it becomes prolonged and it continues into a snap election which could happen at any time. Strikes have brought down governments before in other countries -- such as the "Winter of Discontent," the infamous UK public service strikes in 1979 over wage controls, that saw the fall of James Callaghan and the rise of Margaret Thatcher. Here in Canada, where the railways bind this country and many businesses are heavily reliant on les chemins de fer, it will only take a few days of disruptions to tick off both labour and management where "just in time" is the rule and not the exception; even in agriculture.
Perhaps Harper could weather the storm, but in such a case he'd be lucky to get another minority government; leading to another eighteen months to two years of instability. Meanwhile, the ports will be backlogged like they were a couple of months ago during the last slowdown.
Normally, I'd support mediation or final selection arbitration. There needs to be some certainty, however; so I'd go for something I'd think fair to both sides: A three year contract, with increases of three percent each year. Just plain common sense.
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