With both CN Rail and CPKC potentially going on strike next month, farmers may continue to eat grain scheduled for delivery this spring.
The Teamsters Canadian Railway Congress (TCRC), the union representing more than 9,000 CN and CPKC rail workers, will hold an electronic strike vote starting April 8 to give members the option to proceed with a strike. Organized. Voting closes on Wednesday, May 1st. If union members give a strike order to union representatives, the earliest a strike can begin is May 22.
The negotiations and strike vote revolve around three collective bargaining agreements that are set to expire in December 2023.
Despite the Federal Ministry of Labor appointing a mediator on March 1 to help both the CN, CPKC, and TCRC reach a new bargaining agreement, both sides say there has been little progress since April.
The TCRC released a negotiation bulletin on April 24, encouraging all eligible members to vote if they have not already done so. In the report they also stated: “We understand the potential impact of a work stoppage and are working towards a resolution. At the same time, our demands are not unreasonable and there is no reason why we cannot negotiate an acceptable collective agreement. ”
The union is calling for significant wage increases and is also concerned about its members’ right to rest and work-life balance.
“From my perspective, the position hasn’t changed all that much. There are two options on the table. We have what we call a status quo deal…The second is a progressive hourly rate deal. In my assessment, this progressive hourly rate transaction addresses what our employees want and need,” CPKC President Keith Creel said on an April 24 earnings call. He spoke at
94 per cent of Canada’s grain is transported by rail. In 2023, Canada’s grain exports were $36.2 billion. If the boat is not loaded on time, the shipper is charged daily demurrage costs, which are ultimately passed on to the farmer.
