The order for all Canadian railway employees to return to work has been met with a mixed response. Teamsters Canada Director of Public Affairs Christopher Manette sees a dangerous precedent for unionized workers. “The federal government has essentially sent the message to corporate Canada that all they need to do is shut down their operations for a few hours and the federal government will swoop in to save them to break a union.” Meanwhile, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Matthew Holmes praised the decision. “It’s always best to see something negotiated at the bargaining table, but binding arbitration is the next option.”

