Kansas City Missouri USA - On Saturday, the KC Current kicked off its season in the brand new CPKC Stadium, while fans made their way to the stadium, protesters lined the streets as well.
 
The American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) staged a protest outside the match at the CPKC Stadium.
 
ATDA shared its frustrations with CPKC sharing they are refusing to provide paid sick leave for employees.
 
ATDA made a point to share that it supports women's sports but wanted to make people aware of the issues they face.
 
CPKC told KCTV5 that it and its unions have sick days included in various bargaining agreements.
 
The company continues to offer negotiations for additional sick days with other unions.
 
"We have notified our unions in the United States, including the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and American Train Dispatchers Association, that CPKC is prepared to negotiate sick days at their upcoming negotiation cycles," said Patrick Waldron, CPKC Assistant Vice-President.
 
"When union leadership agrees to participate in negotiations, we will engage."
 
The railway noted that for the last three years, it has uniquely executed the combinations of two railroads, Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.
 
As required, CPKC has successfully negotiated four agreements with four unions to represent nine separate collective agreements combined into single operating territories.
 
"As part of that implementing process, the ATDA chose to have train dispatchers relocating from Minneapolis to Kansas City join the existing agreement covering Kansas City-based dispatchers, an agreement in place with KCS employees prior to the combination of CP and KCS. The ATDA elected to take a higher paying collective agreement, foregoing sick days, through negotiation of an implementing agreement reached months prior to the CP-KCS combination in April 2023," Waldron said.
 
However, ATDA said CPKC has not yet agreed to participate in negotiations.
 
"It appears that CPKC has forgotten that the ATDA came to Kansas City in November 2023 and that the CPKC refused to talk about paid sick leave at that meeting. It wasn't until 29 Feb 2024 after word got out that we planned to protest on 16 Mar 2024 that they sent all labor organizations a letter indicating their ridiculous demands. These included a demand that managers be allowed to violate our agreement by working as scabs, which they knew no labor union would ever agree to," Ed Dowell, ATDA president, said.
 
The Union noted that CPKC has leeway to pay train dispatchers sick days immediately.
 
Since the merger, no dispatcher has been paid for sick days.
 
"I have made it clear that the ATDA was willing to meet any time in the first two weeks of March, but unsurprisingly, the CPKC declined. I remain willing, and the ball is in the Rail Carrier's court. If the CPKC truly is committed to safety, as they say, then they can bring all rail labor organizations together and reach a single agreement with all of them on this issue. I'd also like to point out that we're not alone in our position on the paid sick leave dispute. CPKC shareholder VanCity Investment Management, Canada's largest community credit union, just submitted a resolution calling for CPKC to provide paid sick leave to all employees without being subject to discipline. The resolution also urges CPKC to refrain from demanding concessions in return," Dowell indicated.
 
While not all agreements are the same, CPKC indicated that all include elements like pay and benefits.
 
Samantha Boring.