Witness Testimony

Sean Howe testified that he has worked for a federally regulated Canadian railway since 2011, becoming a locomotive engineer in 2015. When the federal vaccine mandate took effect on November 15, 2021, he declined vaccination and was placed on indefinite unpaid leave. He stated that the mandate applied broadly to federally regulated sectors and was not specific to the railway itself. The leave lasted approximately eight months until the mandate was rescinded in June 2022, after which he was reinstated.
Howe testified that his annual income dropped from approximately $160,000 to about one-third of that amount after finding temporary work in construction and renovations. He estimated total losses of roughly $80,000 and reported incurring approximately $40,000 in new debt. He stated that he relied on equity from a recent home sale and personal credit to survive financially. He did not apply for employment insurance but testified that others were reportedly denied benefits because their records listed them as “dismissed with cause.”
He further testified that hundreds of employees were similarly placed on leave and that some religious or treaty-based exemptions were granted at other railways. Upon returning to work, he described mostly positive reactions from colleagues, though some workplace division remained. Howe concluded that while his primary hardship was economic, the financial stress had broader mental and emotional impacts on his family.