The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference says it has taken down picket lines at Canadian National Railway Co. and its workers will begin returning to work on Friday.
However, the union says the work stoppage at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. remains ongoing pending an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
Following months of increasingly fraught contract talks, Canada's two biggest railways both locked out workers after failing to reach deals with the union by a Thursday deadline.
The unprecedented work stoppage prompted federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to refer the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration.
The union and CPKC officials met with the board on Thursday and will meet again Friday.
CPKC said it was prepared to discuss the resumption of service at the meeting with the CIRB, but the union refused and wants to make submissions to challenge the constitutionality of MacKinnon's direction.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:CNR, TSX:CP)