The federal labour board is sending thousands of railway employees back to work.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) released a decision Saturday, ruling in favour of Minister Steven MacKinnon's order for binding arbitration in the contract dispute between Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
The CIRB has also ordered that no further labour stoppage, including a lockout or strike, can occur during the arbitration process.
In a statement issued Saturday, the Teamsters said the union will comply with the CIRB decision, but that it sets a dangerous precedent.
"It signals to Corporate Canada that large companies need only stop their operations for a few hours, inflict short-term economic pain, and the federal government will step in to break a union," said Paul Boucher, President of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. "The rights of Canadian workers have been significantly diminished today."
The Teamsters will also appeal the ruling to federal court.
In the ruling, the CIRB wrote that it "understands the importance and consequences of this decision on the parties respective rights and obligations under the (Canada Labour) Code. However given the current circumstances and impact of work stoppages involving Canada's two main rail companies, it has decided to issue its conclusions in the form of a bottom-line decision."
The CIRB said it will provide the sides with detailed reasons for the ruling as soon as possible.