A short line railway company that moves freight around the Lower Mainland is behind picket lines, after it locked out its 126 workers Monday, Jan. 5, following a breakdown in contract talks.
Southern Railway of B.C. (SRY) had served 72-hour lockout notice Dec. 31, after CUPE 7000 members voted 91 per cent to reject a six-year 鈥渇inal offer鈥� of 1.5 per cent a year in the first four years and 1.9 per cent in the final two.
鈥淭he employer is not interested in bargaining at all,鈥� union president Bill Magri said.
鈥淭hey wanted to get to this point, and that鈥檚 where we are. It could be a long one, and we鈥檙e definitely prepared. We鈥檒l just dig in and see where we go.鈥�
The union voted in November for strike action to back its demands and, after an attempt at mediation, the company opted to require the union to put its offer to a vote.
SRY president Frank Butzelaar said the company has 34 managers, all with operational training, who will continue to keep the trains moving.
鈥淲e believe our offer is fair,鈥� said Butzelaar, noting it includes a $1,500 signing bonus. 鈥淭he union is quite unaccustomed to small companies. They are unwilling to accept small companies can鈥檛 support benefit packages that larger companies can.鈥�
Much of the New Westminster-based railway鈥檚 cargo moves to or from Annacis Island from points as far away as Chilliwack.
It serves a number of 黑马磁力 industries, ranging from CKF Plastics and Ipex in 黑马磁力 City to Otter Co-op and several industries in the Gloucester Industrial Park.
Butzelaar said SRY workers are the highest-paid short line rail workers in Canada, often earning more than counterparts at CN or CP.
According to the collective agreement that expires March 31, SRY current wages for regular employees range from $28.99 an hour for janitors to $36.07 for locomotive engineers and $38.01 for rail traffic controllers.
Without contract amendments, Butzelaar said, the company cannot remain competitive against large trucking companies and large national railways with intermodal operations.
SRY is a subsidiary of Montana-based conglomerate the Washington Companies, which also includes shipping firm Seaspan.
