Canadian Pacific guilty of contempt of court around long work shifts

A Federal Court judge has found Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. guilty of contempt of court for employees working excessively long hours.

Over a 10-month period in 2018 and 2019, the rail operator failed in 22 instances to comply with cease-and-desist orders laid out by an arbitrator, the ruling states.

The orders related to rest provisions under federal regulations and a pair of collective agreements for conductors and engineers that largely limit shifts to 10 or 12 hours, depending on the circumstances.

"CP’s own evidence was that 'thousands of situations continue to occur annually where employees are not off within 10 hours,'" Judge Ann Marie McDonald wrote, citing the labour arbitrator.