Unifor has given 72 hour strike notice to VIA Rail as the union says talks have failed to progress.
That means some 2,400 maintenance workers, on-board service personnel, chefs, sales agents and customer service staff are set to walk off the job early Monday morning.
Lead negotiator Scott Doherty says workers are frustrated that the employer continues to push concessions and not work towards a fair and equitable collective agreement.
A loss of job security is another concern for the union.
Doherty says the Unifor members at VIA are highly skilled and contributed to the success of the company and they will do whatever it takes to get members the collective agreement that they deserve.
VIA says if no agreement is reached before the deadline they will be forced to suspend all services for the duration of the strike until normal operations can safely resume.
President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Landry says they are committed to continuing and holding negotiations in good faith in an effort to reach a new agreement without any disruption of service.
He notes they have made every effort to reach a deal.
Landry adds, “This potential work disruption comes at a time when we have resumed nearly all of our services. We deeply regret that it will negatively impact our efforts to support the recovery of Canada’s tourism industry and cut off the essential role we play in transporting Canadians, and connecting many remote communities including Indigenous communities.”
If you have already booked a ticket, you will be able to change your reservation at no cost, with service charges waived, or can opt for a full refund.