The federal government is stepping in to get trains moving again after a lockout by Canada’s two largest rail companies.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon is using his powers in the Labour Code to ask the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration.
MacKinnon says he’s also asked the board to order Canadian National Kansas City and Canadian National Railway to resume operations.
Roughly one-billion-dollars in goods are hauled every day by the rail companies and the lockout had the potential to have a massive impact on the North American economy.
Earlier Thursday, N-D-P Leader Jagmeet Singh said the confidence-and-supply agreement his party has with the Liberals would end if the minority government introduces back-to-work legislation that hinges on a confidence vote.

