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IBEW First District Stands in Full Support of System Council No. 11 Members at CPKC
IBEW Canada International Vice President Russ Shewchuk issued the following statement in support of IBEW System Council No. 11 members as they continue their efforts to secure a fair collective agreement through negotiations with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).
“The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) First District (Canada) stands in full support of the nearly 300 members of IBEW System Council No. 11employed by Canadian Pacific Kansas City who commenced lawful strike action on May 31.
“These members perform highly skilled, safety-sensitive work maintaining the signals and communications systems that help keep Canada’s rail network operating safely 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their specialized training and technical expertise must be recognized to attract and retain skilled railway professionals.
“IBEW System Council No. 11 members delivered a strong strike mandate after months of negotiations failed to produce meaningful progress on key issues. The union remained committed to reaching a negotiated agreement that addresses wages and the growing gap between compensation and industry standards for these specialized workers.
“We are disappointed by CPKC’s public characterization of the bargaining process. The company has repeatedly stated that it has been bargaining in good faith while simultaneously calling for binding arbitration. Good faith bargaining requires more than maintaining the status quo and asking a third party to settle unresolved issues. Arbitration must not become a shortcut.
“Collective bargaining is a fundamental right. It succeeds when both parties dedicate the time and effort required to reach a fair agreement. The intent of Bill C-58 is to strengthen that process by encouraging negotiated settlements and meaningful dialogue between employers and workers.
“The IBEW First District stands in solidarity with System Council No. 11 throughout this dispute. These members deserve an agreement that reflects their skills, their expertise, and the value they bring to Canada’s transportation network.
“System Council No. 11 remains ready to meet. We encourage CPKC to return to the table and work toward a negotiated agreement.”
 | RUSS SHEWCHUK International Vice President IBEW First District, Canada |
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The IBEW First District (Canada) represents over 70,000 active members in Canada who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.
IBEW System Council 11 represents more than 1,400 highly skilled signal and communications employees responsible for installing, maintaining, testing, and repairing the systems that keep Canada’s rail network operating safely 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
MoreIBEW System Council No. 11 Commences Strike at CPKC
This article was originally published on the IBEW System Council No. 11 website, ibewcouncil-11.com. Read the original post here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2026
Members of System Council No. 11 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) employed by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC) have lawfully withdrawn their services effective 08:00 Mountain Daylight Time on May 31, 2026, following the expiration of the Union’s 72-hour strike notice and the failure of the parties to reach a negotiated settlement.
IBEW System Council No. 11 represents nearly 300 Signals & Communications employees working across Canada, from Vancouver to Montréal. These employees perform highly skilled, safety-sensitive work involving the installation, maintenance, testing, and repair of railway signalling and communications systems across the CPKC network.
Backed by a 96% strike mandate vote, IBEW members have raised concerns throughout bargaining regarding wages, expenses incurred by employees in the service of the Company, and work-life balance issues arising from extensive on-call obligations and demanding schedules.
The Union states that retention challenges within the Signals & Communications department continue to worsen as experienced employees leave for better-paying opportunities elsewhere in the railway industry, including short-line railways and other employers offering improved compensation and quality of life.
Despite months of bargaining and the completion of the federally mandated conciliation and mediation process under the Canada Labour Code, the Company failed to meaningfully engage on the Union’s key fiscal proposals, and the parties were ultimately unable to reach an agreement.
“The bargaining committee did not take this step lightly,” said Senior General Chairman Jason Sommer. “Throughout this process, the Union remained committed to reaching a fair negotiated settlement for our members. Unfortunately, the Company failed to meaningfully address the issues affecting recruitment, retention, compensation, and work-life balance within the Signals & Communications department.”
The Union remains available to meet with the Company at any time and remains committed to reaching a negotiated agreement that addresses the legitimate concerns of its members.
Media Contact:
Jason Sommer
Senior General Chairman
IBEW System Council No. 11
613-827-4613
ibewsommer@proton.me
In Ontario, Meter Work Is IBEW Work
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| Ontario’s construction locals are cooperating on an agreement that keeps IBEW members on a multiyear project to upgrade 1.5 million residential and commercial electric meters across the province. | |
Thanks largely to innovative agreements negotiated by the IBEW Construction Council of Ontario, scores of members from multiple locals are working for a project by two of the province’s largest utilities to upgrade electric meters for nearly 1.5 million residential and commercial customers.
“It’s new work for us, and it’s huge,” said James Barry, executive secretary-treasurer of the CCO, which represents 11 locals covering nearly 19,000 IBEW members.
Over the past few years, meter maker Honeywell was selected as the upgrade contractor for Hydro One, the province’s largest electricity provider, and for Toronto Hydro, that city’s electric company.
But the road to securing meter work for IBEW members began a decade ago, when the CCO successfully argued before the Ontario Labour Relations Board that such installations belong with IBEW members.
“Because we won that board decision, Honeywell must use IBEW electricians to do these upgrades,” said Barry, who also negotiated an amendment to the union’s agreement with the company that introduced new linework classifications for residential and commercial meter installers.
“This is how we keep high-quality electrical work in IBEW members’ hands, with fully protected journeyperson standards, wages and benefits,” Barry said. The upgrade projects are expected to be worth about $1 billion by the time they’re completed within the next few years, he added, generating well over $150 million in wages for IBEW members.
The union’s lead representative on the projects is Toronto Local 353 Treasurer Jeff Hussey, who noted that all 11 of the CCO locals cooperated in a decision to amend the collective agreement and help spread the IBEW work throughout Ontario.
“There’s a province-wide effort to make sure we’re successful,” said Hussey, who tracks 52 commercial installers and 108 residential installers, from his home local plus Hamilton Local 105, Kingston Local 115, London Local 120, Sarnia Local 530, Ottawa Local 586, Kitchener Local 804 and Sudbury Local 1687.
“Thanks to the commitment of business managers across the province, we have members doing something we were never doing before, and we’ve kept nonunion workers away from this work,” Hussey said.
While the level of oversight and coordination required is significant, he said, the effort has proved invaluable. He also credited the project’s two stewards for keeping communication flowing and helping ensure issues are addressed quickly in the field.
“There’s a lot going on, but we’ve gotten past a lot of the speed bumps,” Hussey said.
Residential meter replacements can be handled by individual workers, he said.
“It’s basically: Knock on the door and say, ‘Hi, I’m here to replace your meter, and your power’s going to be off for about 10 minutes,’” Hussey said. The installer removes the old meter, checks incoming power levels, installs and tests the new meter, and moves on. If the timing is inconvenient, customers can reschedule.
“We’ve learned a lot,” he said. “You have to be well versed in how to communicate with customers.”
There are other hazards. “I think we’re up to six dog bites,” Hussey said.
Commercial installers deal with dangers, too, he said, although a typical commercial meter is designed to be disconnected without shutting down a business’s power.
Despite the challenges, installers province-wide have been replacing up to 9,000 meters in a typical week, Hussey said.
“Jeff’s right out there in the field with our members. He’s worked hard on this,” Barry said. “This project demonstrates how the IBEW can creatively partner with employers on logistically challenging jobs while maintaining strong representation for our members.”
First District International Vice President Russ Shewchuk applauded the Ontario business managers and CCO leadership for thinking outside the box to ensure that the work was performed by IBEW members.
“Having them coordinate on this is huge,” Shewchuk said. “It demonstrates what can be accomplished when IBEW leaders work together.”
*This article was originally published in the June 2026 issue of The Electrical Worker Online.
More2026 Post ACPM Open Letter to Membership
Sisters and Brothers,
As I reflect on the past few weeks, our All-Canada Progress Meeting (ACPM) in Niagara Falls and the Prime Minister’s recent announcement surrounding a National Electricity Strategy, I keep coming back to one feeling: pride.
Pride in this country. Pride in our union. Pride in what we have built together and what we will continue to build into the future.
Walking into the ACPM conference room and seeing the largest gathering of Canadian delegates we have welcomed to date was something I will not forget. That room represented momentum. It represented members stepping forward, leaders leaning in, difficult conversations taking place, and a shared belief that we are stronger together. It’s a reflection of what we’ve accomplished together in recent years and of where we are headed in the years to come.
Since 2022, we have welcomed more than 8,000 net new members to the IBEW in Canada and over 215 new employers. Think about the positive impact we’ve had on countless families, neighbourhoods, and communities across Canada.
That growth did not happen by accident.
It came from rank-and-file members becoming ambassadors for our union in their workplaces, communities, and online. It came from leadership’s willingness to revisit fundamentals and make changes where needed. It came from improving education for both leaders and members and making sure resources reached people when they needed them. It came from finding common ground and moving forward, collectively. It came from being dedicated to the members.
Most importantly, it came because members believed in the IBEW.
One of the clearest examples of that energy was our caucus programming. We saw familiar faces and welcomed many new ones. I watched members step outside their comfort zones to learn, ask questions, reconnect, and build relationships across locals and regions.
To every delegate who participated, thank you for investing in yourself and in the future of this union. To all the Business Managers and Executive Board members who supported participation, thank you for recognizing that leadership development, education, and connection strengthen us all.
We also witnessed the progress we’ve made together in building relationships with decision-makers in our cities, provinces, and the country. No matter who forms government, our responsibility remains the same: show up and advocate for our members. Building strong relationships with political leaders at all levels, regardless of party, has been a strong priority for our union, especially over the past four years.
Over the last two years, we have earned access to conversations about Canada’s economic future, electrification, training, labour mobility, apprenticeship, and safety. We have shown government what our dedicated members are capable of.
And they have taken note.
Government is recognizing the value our members bring.
That brings me to something personal.
Many of you know I had to leave the conference early and missed the banquet and closing events. I did not enjoy that.
But something happened that reminded me just how far we have come.
I received a call from Prime Minister Mark Carney.
He told me that the following morning, the government would announce a National Electricity Strategy in Ottawa. He asked that I be present to represent the IBEW.
When the Prime Minister’s office needed a voice on electrification, they called on the only union that government, industry, and communities trust to help power Canada’s future.
The IBEW.
To stand in front of the country and speak on behalf of our over 70,000 members. This, sisters and brothers, was a historic moment for our organization: validation of what we’ve accomplished together and encouragement for what we will continue to build.
I cannot fully express what that moment meant to me and what it means to our union.
It was not recognition for one person. It was recognition of years of work by leaders across this country. Countless flights. Endless meetings. Showcasing training centres. Building relationships. Promoting our members, our partners, our standards, and our track record.
I know the timing was difficult, and I am truly sorry I could not remain with you in Niagara Falls.
But I hope you understand what that moment represented.
Canada called on the IBEW because of what we have built. Together.
Our All-Canada Progress Meeting in Niagara Falls was a direct reflection of our collective success. I saw it in the conversations taking place between locals, in members stepping forward to learn and lead, and in the growing participation across our caucuses and affinity groups. I saw it in the pride members carry for their careers and for the IBEW.
Over these past few years, I have watched a spark return to this union.
That energy is contagious.
Now our governments are feeling it too.
The future of this country will be electric. And the IBEW will help build it, power it, and train the next generation to carry it forward.
But our work is not finished.
Stay the course. Continue investing in yourself, your members and developing leaders. Share ideas. Seek out support. Lean on the experience and expertise available across First District and across one another.
We have built something special together over the last four years. Now let’s keep building.
In solidarity,
| RUSS SHEWCHUK International Vice President IBEW First District, Canada |
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2026 Early Bird Cash Draw Winners Announced
And the winners are…
We are pleased to announce that the winners of the first two (2) Early Bird Cash Draws; ticket number #249 and #414 for $2,500.00 each – drawn May 13th, 2026 at the All-Canada Progress Meeting in Niagara Falls, ON, are:
Tom McGreevy, Local Union 586 – Ottawa, ON
And
Melanie Panych, Local Union 2002 – Winnipeg, MB
Congratulations, Tom and Melanie!
Next Draw
The draws for the two (2) $5,000.00 and one (1) $20,000.00 cash prize will take place as soon as all tickets are sold.
Limited Number of Tickets Still Available!
Hurry, a limited number of tickets are still available; please contact your International Representative or the First District Office to purchase.
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