Some CN railroad workers in Edmonton say they are fed up with a “culture of fear and intimidation” that keeps them working longer hours than they can handle.
Workers rallied near Grand Trunk Park on the city’s north side last Wednesday to push their employer to take workplace fatigue seriously.
“They’re forcing us to come to work when we’re tired and to remain at work tired, despite provisions in our collective agreement that allow for us to be the judges of our own condition while we’re at work,” said a locomotive engineer, who has worked with CN for 10 years.
The engineer who spoke to Metro said employees have been ignored, and in some cases disciplined, for raising concerns about fatigue to their supervisors.
He said CN’s failure to deal with the problem is putting not only employees but the public at risk.
“Operating a train requires a lot of focus and attention to detail. When someone is deprived of sleep it impairs both their physical as well as their cognitive ability to do so,” he said.
