The CN employees in Squamish are worried. Most don't know what their future holds because the details of their financial deal with their employer aren't complete.
Those who are losing their jobs don't know the details of their severance packages and those who can transfer to other jobs in other communities don't know if their new assignments are acceptable.
The workers have turned to an unlikely source for help. Union leader Robin Hurren confirmed this week that one of the people who defended the province's decision to sell the 小蓝视频 Rail (小蓝视频R) operations to CN is speaking in support of the workers.
"We've been having a tough time," Hurren said of the negotiations with CN. He wouldn't elaborate beyond that because the negotiations are ongoing with two days of bargaining set for Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 8 and 9).
Graham Dallas of CN's media relations department confirmed that more talks are set for next week. Dallas wouldn't say any more than that because his company has a policy of not discussing labour negotiations when talks are under way.
Sutherland wrote a letter to CN this week to express his concerns for the future of the former 小蓝视频R workers.
"The employees deserve respect," Sutherland said. "They don't want to decide their futures in haste."
Most of them want to stay here, Sutherland said. Whether or not they stay will depend on the deal that is reached by CN and the unionized workers.
"For the people of Squamish the concern is that we want to make sure they get a good deal and a fair deal," said Sutherland. "What you don't want to see is the people of Squamish being the guinea pigs."
According to Sutherland, the Squamish employees are the first group of former 小蓝视频R employees expected to reach the critical point of job terminations and transfers. Sutherland doesn't want the final deal for the Squamish employees to be the minimum standard for other employees to base their deals.
Sutherland noted that when the changes were announced at the railway, it was noted that the workers will be treated fairly. Sutherland wants that to be accomplished sooner than later for the local rail workers.
"Hopefully, as we go forward with this we'll find a solution," Sutherland said.
The mayor said that there are significant issues around the pensions and company payments to the employee pension fund after the jobs in Squamish are gone. The goal of reaching an agreement is made more challenging due to the fact that each individual employee is unique.
"A 46-year-old has different needs than a 50-year-old," said Sutherland.
In the meantime, Hurren said the employees are cleaning up at the shops on Government Road. It isn't easy, he says, as the workers are throwing their own history into the garbage. He cited the example of the lockers used by the employees. Those lockers were discarded recently as part of the cleanup of the rail yards.
Hurren said the mood isn't good as the workers shut down the shops with the clock ticking to complete an agreement for the employees. He said the mood would be better if the workers know what their futures held.
