Caption: So, the story goes on March 19, 1995 CN had locked out 10,000 workers and laid off 1,200 during a Canada wide rail strike that also heavily impacted commuter and passenger service. At the time, Canadian Pacific had more than 7200 employees on strike who had utilized non-union managers and employees to continue moving some freight over the duration of the strike. The lengthy work stoppage by unions of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees and the Canadian Auto Workers was mainly over a job security clause that the companies had wanted to water down. While the dispute had began earlier in the month, it came fully to a head during the March 18-19 weekend. It wasn’t until March 27, when after a rare weekend session that Canadian Parliament had passed a bill to end the strike that had crippled the country’s transportation network for more than a week.
On the last day before the strike, we were out around Milton on the Halton Subdivision trying to photograph the final moves before the work stoppage began the next day after midnight. That afternoon, 2nd 392 arrived at Mansewood where the crew was instructed to leave their train and get into a taxi for home. Later that afternoon, CN 392 was told to stop at Mansewood and lift 2nd 392’s units only and continue to MacMillan Yard. It would be assumed that CN had wanted all the power back in Toronto with the risk of a pending strike just hours away. Here CN 392 is viewed at Mansewood ready to head east with an impressive consist that included; LMS 718, 5362, 6012, 9629, 5346, 6109, 5365, LMS 729, 5304 and 5336. My notes showed they departed at 16:50 and we did photograph it again at Mile 30.