Ag groups call on Trudeau to avert rail strike in Canada

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and other members of the agriculture community have asked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to avert a potential rail strike involving Canada's two Class Is and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). 

In an Aug. 19 letter  to Trudeau, the NGFA and members of the Agricultural Transportation Working Group asked the prime minister to prevent the "serious damage to the Canadian and U.S. economies" that would occur if CN, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and the unions represented by the TCRC fail to come to new labor agreements. A strike could begin as early as tomorrow. 

NGFA urged the Canadian government to prevent a rail strike or lockout as it would lead to shutdowns of rail-dependent facilities, “resulting in harmful consequences for Canadian and American agricultural producers, the industry and both domestic and global food security,” according to the letter.

The livestock industry depends on rail for the timely delivery of feed grains and ingredients, while many facilities — such as biofuels operations, flour mills and other grain processors — require uninterrupted rail service, the groups noted.

“Operational railroads are essential on both sides of the border for the integrated North American supply chain,” the letter states. “While we believe a negotiated solution is always the preferred outcome, the government should be prepared to move quickly if negotiations fail.”

While Aug. 22 is the first potential official start date of a strike or lockout, CN, CPKC and railroads in the United States already have begun altering their operations and halting shipments of many products to ensure people or trains are not stranded once a strike begins.

A simultaneous rail strike involving of Canada's two largest freight railroads would be a first. Both have said they'll start locking out workers early Thursday if a deal is not reach. Meanwhile, TCRC has said it will call a strike starting on Thursday.

The TCRC is demanding better wages and benefits, as well as provisions for worker-fatigue management and improved scheduling for rail crews. TCRC represents 6,000 conductors, conductor trainers, yard coordinators and locomotive engineers across the CN network; and 3,200 locomotive engineers, conductors and train-yard workers at CPKC.