OTTAWA — Workers at Canadian National Railway will begin returning to work on Friday, the Teamsters union said, hours after the Canadian government moved to end an unprecedented rail stoppage. The union said the work stoppage at Canadian Pacific Kansas City would continue pending an order from the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). The union and company officials are scheduled to meet with the board on Friday morning. Canada’s top two railroads had locked out more than 9,000 unionized workers earlier on Thursday. …The Canadian government on Thursday announced that it would ask the country’s industrial relations board to issue a back-to-work order that should come soon. The CIRB, which is independent, will now consult the companies and unions before issuing an order. CN had said it would end its lockout on Thursday, CPKC said it was preparing to restart operations in Canada and timing would be provided once it received CIRB’s order.
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