Update:
The CN lockout imposed at midnight Wednesday, Aug. 21 ended effective Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. eastern standard time.
Original:
Unionized Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) employees are standing with signs just off Highway 20 in Williams Lake Thursday morning, Aug. 22, as workers were locked out by CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. late Wednesday evening.
There are 9,300 unionized employees off the job across Canada, including conductors, engineers and yard workers in the Cariboo region.
As a result, the CN yards in Williams Lake are at a standstill Thursday morning.
The two rail companies haul a combined $1 billion in goods each day, according to the Railway Association of Canada.
Many shipments were stopped earlier to avoid stranding cargo.
Parties bargained late into the night Wednesday at hotels in Montreal and Calgary before talks broke off shortly before midnight.
Each side has accused the other of failing to negotiate seriously.
With files from Canadian Press
