Labor strikes at both Canada’s main railroads, CN Rail and CPKC, are not expected to occur until mid-July or later, CPKC said, raising the possibility of unprecedented rail shutdowns that would coincide with the start of harvest and the busiest grain shipping season of the year.
More than 9,000 workers at CN and CPKC, members of the Canadian Railway Congress Teamsters, were in a position to strike as of May 22, but Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. intervened before that could happen. By asking for a review The impact of the rail shutdown on the health and safety of Canadians. Unions and rail companies are not legally permitted to initiate strikes or lockouts until a review by the Canada Labour Relations Board is completed.
“It is unclear how long it will take for the CIRB to make a decision, but based on precedent, it is unlikely that the parties will be in a position to launch a lawful strike or lockout after mid-July,” CPKC said in a negotiation update posted on its website on May 22.
Some agricultural organizations, Canadian Federation of Agriculture and Wheat growersubmitted comments for CIRB consideration ahead of the deadline for submissions earlier this week.
“If labor disputes disrupt shipments this fall, a peak shipping period for grain and many other agricultural commodities, the impacts could extend beyond the current shipping season and have long-term implications on agricultural exports in key markets around the world,” CFA president Keith Currie wrote.
Part of the CIRB investigation focuses on the availability of propane if rail services are disrupted. Farmers in many parts of the country need a steady supply of propane to dry grain and heat and cool barns and greenhouses, Currie noted. “The lack of availability of these products at critical stages of production could lead to food loss through spoilage, serious animal welfare concerns, and the inability to sustain business operations due to shortages of essential inputs.”
The railroads and unions have until May 31 to submit their rebuttals to the commission.
The CPKC says it offered to resolve the labor dispute through binding arbitration, but that offer was rejected by the union. Representatives of the CPKC and the Teamsters met from May 15 to May 21, but the railroad and the union said no progress was made and no additional negotiation dates have been scheduled.
CN and the union also met from May 13 to 17. CN said it submitted a new proposal on May 16, but the union said CN “remains unreasonable and continues to refuse to negotiate our demands.”
