Catherwood LibraryILR School

In an effort to end a strike began Saturday by Canadian National Railway's locomotive engineers, Canada's legislators drafted and attempted to speed through the House of Commons a back-to-work bill. The strike began Saturday at midnight after the Canadian National Railway imposed work conditions on engineers in order to halt an on-going fourteen-month negotiation process. 1,700 locomotive engineers are participating. The government, which relies heavily on the railway company for export purposes, wants to end the strike quickly. The back-to-work bill was drafted by the Conservative Party, and has been strongly opposed by the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois. The Liberal Party has said they will not take a position without further clarification of the situation between the company and the engineers. The Conservative Party's motion to remain in session until the bill was passed was blocked today, and the motion could continue to be blocked for the rest of the week.