After a video showing freight workers surrounded by flames near Armstrong gained international attention, Teamsters Canada released a statement praising the workers’ actions while condemning Canadian National Railway (CN).
Teamsters Canada, the union representing CN engineers and conductors, said the incident should never have happened.
“We commend the courage and professionalism of our members, who kept their composure in a terrifying situation. We are relieved that nobody was hurt,” said Paul Boucher, President of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. “But make no mistake, this incident should never have happened. CN should never have sent a train down those lines. The company knows exactly how bad the situation is in that region. That fire has been raging for five weeks.”
The union is calling on CN to suspend rail traffic through active wildfire zones, arguing that worker and community safety must come first.
“Our members should never have to drive through a wall of flames to move freight,” said François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada. “Railway workers keep this country’s economy moving, but no shipment is worth a human life. CN owes its workers, and the communities along those lines, answers.”
Teamsters Canada also criticized what it described as a broader shift in federal policy.
“Recent federal government initiatives have emboldened employers to place greater emphasis on operational efficiency and supply chain fluidity, sometimes at the expense of critical safety considerations,” said Don Ashley, National Legislative Director of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
CN has not yet responded to Acadia Broadcasting’s request for comment on the union’s statement. However, when asked Tuesday whether the workers were safe, the company said:
“CN remains in close contact with the Ministry of Natural Resources and local authorities as the situation continues to evolve,” the company wrote. “The safety of our employees, the community, and emergency responders remains our top priority.”
