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Studies Worker Buyout of CN
The largest union at Canadian National Railways is launching a feasibility
study of a worker buyout of the Crown corporation. The United Transportation
Union (UTU) representing 10,000 of CN's 38,000 employees is anticipating
that the federal government will privatize CN and possibly sell
it to Canadian Pacific or a major American railway.
Over the past five years CN has downsized its operations, shedding
hotels, a communications subsidiary, numerous other properties and
investments, and its trucking operations (now the subject of a criminal
investigation because of the manner in which it was bankrupted by
the entrepreneurs who bought it from the government). In total,
13,000 CN workers lost their jobs, and it is anticipated that another
5000 jobs will be lost by 1993.
UTU General Chairperson Tom Hodges has been pushing the feasibility
study proposal among the 14 unions representing CN workers. Recently
he stated: “While we are not advocating the purchase of CN
Rail by its employees, it is important that we have all the facts
available to us should it be necessary for CN Rail employees to
protect themselves against the purchase of CN Rail by CP Rail ...
A feasibility study, which can be expected to take up to two years
to conduct, will enable us to make a more informed decision with
respect to the options available to employees.”
CN would be an expensive proposition for any purchasers. According
to its 1989 annual report, it has assets of $8.14 billion and debt
of $3.17 billion. In 1989, CN declared a profit of $205.8 million
on revenues of $4.2 billion.
More information is available from Tom Hodges, General Chairperson,
United Transportation Union, 55 King St., Suite 600, St. Catharines,
Ontario L2R 3H5 (416) 641-2770
From Worker Co-op, The Voice of economic democracy in
Canada, Fall, 1990 Vol. 10 No. 2 P. 7. Subscriptions are $17/year,
from Worker Co-op Magazine, P.O. Box 101, Station G, Toronto, Ontario
M4M 3E8
(CX5095)
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