All Aboard the Breakdown: VIA Rail Faces Summer Strike Showdown

📝 DESCRIPTION
All Aboard the Breakdown: VIA Rail Faces Summer Strike Showdown

Canada’s summer travel season might be derailed—literally. Over 2,500 VIA Rail workers have delivered a thunderous 97.5% strike mandate through Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union, setting the stage for a potential nationwide rail shutdown by June 22.

Frustrated by slow progress at the bargaining table, concessions proposed by the employer, and ignored wage demands, workers are now preparing to act. Federal conciliation ends May 31, kicking off a 21-day countdown to a legal strike. The message from Unifor President Lana Payne is clear: “This is about fairness. This is about protecting good jobs and the future of public rail.”

VIA Rail hasn’t budged, according to union officials. The clock is ticking. What’s at stake isn’t just pay—it’s the soul of Canada’s national rail service, built on the backs of workers now being asked to settle for less in an era of rising costs and economic instability.

In this video, we break down what led to the impasse, why this strike could paralyze summer travel, and what it reveals about worker dignity, public services, and political accountability in 2025.

🔍 KEYWORD
#viarailstrike #uniforunion #canadianrail #workersrights #summertravel2025