Submissions

The simultaneous labour dispute between CN and CPKC and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) union will have a devastating impact on the transportation of goods into this fall harvest. In addition to the shipment of agricultural products to market, farmers in many parts of Canada require a steady and stable supply of propane for grain drying, greenhouse production and heating and cooling of livestock barns. In fact, I understand that CN has already stopped shipments of “hazardous items” including fertilizers, ahead of a potential work stoppage, and at a time when shipments were being ramped up for next spring. The inability to access these products at critical stages of production could result in food loss due to spoilage, acute animal welfare concerns due to a backlog of livestock slaughterhouse capacity, and the inability to maintain business continuity due to a lack of essential inputs.