Bill C-77

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Royal Assent

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	42-43-44 ELIZABETH II
	CHAPTER 6
	An Act to provide for the maintenance of railway operations and subsidiary services
	[Assented to 26th March, 1995]
	Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
	SHORT TITLE
Short title	1. This Act may be cited as the Maintenance of Railway Operations Act, 1995.
	PART I
	CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY COMPANY
	Interpretation
Definitions	2. (1) In this Part,
``collective agreement'' « convention collective »	``collective agreement'' means a collective agreement between the employer and a union that expired on December 31, 1993, and includes any related arrangements between the employer and the union concerning terms and conditions of employment or benefits related to employment;
``Commission '' « commission »	``Commission'' means a Mediation-Arbitration Commission established under this Part;
``employee'' « employé »	``employee'' means a person who is employed by the employer and is a member of a bargaining unit represented by a union;
``employer'' « employeur »	``employer'' means the Canadian National Railway Company;
``Minister'' « ministre »	``Minister'' means the Minister of Labour;
``union'' « syndicat »	``union'' means a trade union named in Schedule I.
Words and expressions	(2) Unless otherwise provided, words and expressions used in this Part have the same meaning as in Part I of the Canada Labour Code.
	Railway Operations
Operations	3. On the coming into force of this Part,
	(a) the employer shall continue or forthwith resume, as the case may be, operation of railway and subsidiary services; and
	(b) every employee shall, when required to do so, continue or forthwith resume, as the case may be, the duties of that employee's employment.
	Obligations
Obligations of employer	4. Neither the employer nor any officer or representative of the employer shall
	(a) in any manner impede any employee from complying with paragraph 3(b); or
	(b) discharge or in any other manner discipline, or authorize or direct the discharge or discipline of, any employee by reason of that employee's having been on strike before the coming into force of this Part.
Obligations of unions	5. Each union and each officer and representative of each union shall
	(a) forthwith on the coming into force of this Part, give notice to the employees who are members of a bargaining unit represented by the union that, by reason of that coming into force, railway and subsidiary services are to be continued or resumed, as the case may be, and that those employees, when required to do so, are to continue or forthwith resume, as the case may be, the duties of their employment;
	(b) take all reasonable steps to ensure that those employees comply with paragraph 3(b); and
	(c) refrain from any conduct that may encourage employees to not comply with paragraph 3(b).
	Extension of Collective Agreements
Extension of collective agreements	6. (1) The term of each collective agreement between the employer and a union is extended to include the period beginning on January 1, 1994 and ending on the day on which a new collective agreement between the employer and the union comes into effect.
Collective agreements binding for extended term	(2) Each collective agreement extended by subsection (1) is effective and binding on the parties to it for the period for which it is extended, notwithstanding anything in the collective agreement or in Part I of the Canada Labour Code, and Part I of that Act applies in respect of the collective agreement as if that period were the term of the collective agreement.
	Terms and Conditions of Employment
Terms and conditions of employment remain in effect	7. The terms and conditions of employment in effect immediately before March 2, 1995 for employees in the bargaining unit of shopcraft employees represented by the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW - Canada) and whose collective agreements expired on December 31, 1991 remain in effect for the period beginning on March 2, 1995 and ending on the date on which a new collective agreement between the employer and that union comes into effect for those employees.
	Strikes and Lockouts Prohibited
Strikes and lockouts prohibited	8. (1) During the term of each collective agreement, as extended by subsection 6(1),
	(a) the employer shall not declare or cause a lockout against the union that is a party to the collective agreement;
	(b) no officer or representative of the union that is a party to the collective agreement shall declare or authorize a strike against the employer; and
	(c) no employee who is bound by the collective agreement shall participate in a strike against the employer.
Strikes and lockouts prohibited - shopcraft employees	(2) During the period referred to in section 7,
	(a) the employer shall not declare or cause a lockout against the union referred to in that section in respect of the bargaining unit of shopcraft employees;
	(b) no officer or representative of that union shall declare or authorize a strike against the employer in respect of that bargaining unit; and
	(c) no employee who is a member of that bargaining unit and who is subject to the terms and conditions of employment referred to in that section shall participate in a strike against the employer.
	Mediation-Arbitration Commissions
Mediation-Ar bitration Commissions	9. After the coming into force of this Part, a Mediation-Arbitration Commission shall be established in accordance with section 10 in respect of each of the following bargaining units and the Minister shall, subject to subsection 10(8), refer to each Commission all matters that at the time of the establishment of the Commission remain in dispute between the parties in relation to the conclusion of a new collective agreement:
	(a) the bargaining unit of clerical employees represented by the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW - Canada);
	(b) the bargaining unit of shopcraft employees represented by the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada (CAW - Canada) pursuant to an order issued by the Canada Labour Relations Board on June 29, 1994;
	(c) the bargaining unit of maintenance of way employees represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees;
	(d) the bargaining unit of all running trades employees represented by the Canadian Council of Railway Operating Unions pursuant to an order issued by the Canada Labour Relations Board on August 9, 1993;
	(e) the bargaining unit of security personnel represented by the Canadian National Railways Police Association;
	(f) the bargaining unit of signallers and other employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; and
	(g) the bargaining unit of traffic controllers and other employees represented by the Rail Canada Traffic Controllers.
Composition	10. (1) Each Commission shall consist of a Chairperson and two other members, one of whom shall represent the union representing the bargaining unit and the other of whom shall represent the employer.
Appointment of members	(2) Forthwith after the coming into force of this Part, the Minister shall, by notice in writing in respect of each Commission, require the employer and the union representing the bargaining unit to each appoint a person to represent it on the Commission.
Failure to appoint	(3) Where the employer or a union fails or neglects to appoint a member of a Commission within seven days after receiving the notice referred to in subsection (2), the Minister shall appoint, as a member of the Commission, a person whom the Minister considers to be qualified to be such a member, and the member so appointed shall be deemed to have been appointed by the employer or the union, as the case may be.
Appointment of Chairperson	(4) The Minister shall, before giving the notice referred to in subsection (5), appoint as Chairperson of a Commission a person whom the Minister considers to be qualified to be Chairperson.
Notification to parties	(5) When the employer and the union representing the bargaining unit have notified the Minister of their appointment of a person to represent them, or when a member is deemed to have been appointed for them, the Minister shall give notice to the employer and the union of the names of the members of the Commission, and thereupon it shall be conclusively presumed that the Commission described in the notice has been established as of the date the notice is given.
Substitution of member	(6) Where a person ceases to be a member of a Commission before the Commission has completed its work, another member shall be appointed in the person's place in accordance with this section.
Same person may be appointed	(7) A person may be appointed to more than one Commission.
Tentative agreements	(8) Where the employer and a union representing a bargaining unit referred to in section 9 have, before the issuance of the notice referred to in subsection (2) or (5),
	(a) reached a tentative agreement for the resolution of the matters in dispute between them, or
	(b) agreed to a process for the final resolution of those matters,
	the Minister may defer the giving of the notice until such time as the Minister considers appropriate, and if a new collective agreement is entered into between the employer and the union in respect of the bargaining unit before that time, a Commission need not be established in respect of the bargaining unit.
Matters referred to Commission	(9) Where the giving of the notice referred to in subsection (2) or (5) in respect of a Commission is deferred and the Minister subsequently considers that the establishment of the Commission is necessary, the Minister shall give to the parties the notice that has been deferred and, on the establishment of the Commission, the Minister shall refer to the Commission all matters for which there is no final settlement at the time of the establishment of the Commission.
Duties	11. (1) Within seventy days after its establishment or such longer period as the Minister may allow, each Commission shall
	(a) for the purpose of concluding a new collective agreement between the employer and the union representing the bargaining unit in respect of which the Commission was established,
	(i) endeavour to mediate all the matters referred to it and to bring about an agreement between the employer and the union on those matters, and
	(ii) if the Commission is unable to do so in respect of any such matter, hear the employer and the union on the matter, arbitrate the matter and render a decision;
	(b) fix a date for the termination of the new collective agreement established by this Part between the employer and the union, which date may not be earlier than December 31, 1997; and
	(c) report to the Minister on the resolution of all such matters.
Appropriate contractual language	(2) Each Commission shall ensure that any agreement or decision referred to in paragraph (1)(a) is in appropriate contractual language so as to allow its incorporation into the appropriate collective agreement or, where necessary, draft a new agreement between the employer and the union that contains all agreements and decisions referred to in that paragraph.
Guiding principle	12. Each Commission shall be guided by the need for terms and conditions of employment that are consistent with the economic viability and competitiveness of a coast-to-coast rail system in both the short and the long term, taking into account the importance of good labour-management relations.
Powers	13. Each Commission has, with such modifications as the circumstances require,
	(a) for the purposes of the mediation referred to in subparagraph 11(1)(a)(i), all the powers of a conciliation commissioner under section 84 of the Canada Labour Code, and
	(b) for the purposes of the arbitration referred to in subparagraph 11(1)(a)(ii), all the powers and duties of an arbitrator under sections 60 and 61 of that Act
	and, with the approval of the Minister, may engage the services of such technical advisers or other experts and assistants as the Commission considers necessary.
Decisions of Commission	14. The decision of a majority of the members of a Commission is the decision of the Commission, but if a majority of the members of the Commission cannot agree on a decision, the decision of the Chairperson of the Commission is the decision of the Commission.
Incorporation in collective agreement	15. (1) As of the day that a Commission reports to the Minister pursuant to paragraph 11(1)(c), each collective agreement between the employer and a union shall be deemed to be amended by the incorporation therein of
	(a) any agreement resolving the matters in dispute between the employer and the union arrived at before, or pursuant to, mediation by the Commission; and
	(b) any decision of the Commission in respect of any matters arbitrated by it.
New collective agreement	(2) Each collective agreement amended by subsection (1), or each new agreement drafted by the Commission pursuant to subsection 11(2), as the case may be, constitutes a new collective agreement that, subject to subsection (3), is effective and binding on the parties thereto for a period beginning on the day on which the report of the Commission is submitted to the Minister and ending on the day fixed by the Commission pursuant to paragraph 11(1)(b), notwithstanding anything in Part I of the Canada Labour Code, and that Part applies in respect of the new collective agreement as if it had been entered into pursuant to that Part.
Coming into effect of provisions	(3) A new collective agreement established by this Part may provide that any provision thereof is effective and binding on a day before or after the day on which the new collective agreement becomes effective and binding.
Proceedings prohibited	16. No order shall be made, no process shall be entered into and no proceeding shall be taken in any court
	(a) to question the establishment of a Commission or the appointment of any member of a Commission; or
	(b) to review, prohibit or restrain any proceeding or decision of a Commission.

Bill C-77

42-43-44 ELIZABETH II

CHAPTER 6