MONTREAL — The shutdown at Canada’s two major railways last week was not the first time a simultaneous work stoppage brought trains to a halt in this country.
Joint job action at Canadian National Railway and what was then Canadian Pacific previously stopped rail traffic from coast to coast in 1950, 1966, 1973 and 1987.
News reports from all four strikes note the consequences for a range of industries, from agriculture and retail to mining and forestry.
Greg Gormick, who heads On Track Consulting, says that in 1950, as now, rail companies found themselves in competition with trucking firms and workers demanded big gains after a period of unsatisfactory
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