Judge acquits CPKC of contempt of court in ruling tied to long work hours

A Federal Court of Appeal judge has acquitted Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. of contempt of court related to excessively long hours worked by employees.

The ruling from Justice Donald Rennie sets aside a lower court decision, stating it is "impossible to rationalize a finding of contempt with the facts" given CPKC took "meaningful steps" toward compliance.

The orders related to rest provisions under federal regulations and a pair of collective agreements for conductors and engineers that largely limit shifts to 10 or 12 hours, depending on the circumstances.

Canadian Pacific says in a statement it is pleased with the acquittal.

The Teamsters union, which represents thousands of CPKC workers, calls the decision "very disappointing" and claims the company "routinely" violates collective agreements.