May 30th 2025, 

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Arbitrator Kaplan’s award has now been released. The terms, along with some brief explanations, are outlined below, and the award itself is also attached.

The simplified terms are:

• 4-year term expiring December 31st 2027
• Wage Increases of 3% per year (2024 to 2027 retro pay will apply)
• Increase to shift differential from $1.25 to $1.50 for afternoon shift, and $1.50 to $2.00 for night shift
• Basic statutory increases to benefits (Dental, Orthodontics, Disability, Life Insurance, Vision, Lifetime Max Increases)
• Workload Agreement incorporated into Collective Agreement
• Guaranteed single day ILO, language to be determined by the parties
• Pension Arrears process to address repayment for members who have outstanding pension contributions
• Train and Hold employees not bid off position until 25 working shifts have been completed or by mutual agreement through the company and union (existing language from previous agreement made with company)

As you know, despite our best efforts at the bargaining table, the TCRC and CPKC were ultimately unable to reach a renewed Collective Agreement through bargaining and mediation.  The railway’s collusion and government overreach made that impossible and forced us into a dictated Collective Agreement.  In accordance with the direction issued by the Minister of Labour last year, the parties presented our issues to Arbitrator William Kaplan through mediation in April, with a hearing ultimately being held May 10th in Toronto.

For clarity, this process was not one the TCRC sought when entering negotiations. Our preference has always been to reach a freely negotiated settlement at the bargaining table. 

We remain committed to advocating for fairness, respect, and the best possible outcomes for all RTCs, even under these challenging circumstances. We will be meeting with the company in the coming weeks to discuss implementation of the award.

We thank you for your continued solidarity.

In Solidarity,

Ryan Finnson, Vice-President TCRC National
Veronica Linkletter, Vice-General Chair TCRC-RCTC
Jason Bailey – General Chair TCRC-RCTC
Dan Bertram – Local Chair TCRC-RCTC
Alex Dahbour – President TCRC-RCTC