Ottawa Ontario - The Canadian government won't be rushed into introducing back-to-work legislation like the Conservatives did to favour employers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday, hours before the possible start of another Canadian railway strike.
 
"Quite frankly, we have companies that have gotten used to the fact that in certain industries, the government in the past was very quick to legislate against unions," he said during a conference in Toronto.
 
"We are not going to do that."
 
Trudeau said the government believes in collective bargaining but will use various levers to motivate both sides to reach a settlement.
 
However, if it is eventually forced to intervene, the Liberal government won't be giving the advantage to employers, he said.
 
"I can tell you we will also look at legislation to deal with some of the issues that the unions are talking about, which are not just about money but are about rail safety for employees."
 
The Calgary-based railway said it would keep meeting with union representatives, but the unions have accused the company of "refusing to negotiate seriously."
 
"Negotiations are ongoing and we are still waiting for CP to show up with a serious offer," TCRC spokesman Christopher Monette wrote in an email.
 
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OKthePK Joint Bar Editor:  Article abridged - stale news and opinions removed.