Railway strike vote dismays farmers

Grain Growers of Canada calls on railways, workers to resolve their differences 

Glacier FarmMedia—Grain Growers of Canada is sounding the alarm over a potential strike by workers at both of the country’s major railways.

More than 95 per cent of workers at Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City railways have voted in favour of a strike that could happen as early as May 22.

The farm group said this could cause mass disruption to the agricultural sector and the Canadian economy.

“As farmers, our operations are closely tied to rail transport, both inbound to access crop inputs and outbound to deliver grain to export position,” said chair Andre Harpe.

“A rail strike now is the last thing we need. We’re at a critical point in the seeding season, and any delay in shipping can directly affect our bottom line and cause substantial economic losses across the agricultural sector.”

The organization said about 94 per cent of Canadian grain moves by rail. Job action would mean elevators could not accept grain, leading to delayed payments and financial hardship.

At port, demurrage and weakened trade relations could result.

In June 2023 Canada exported more than 2.6 million tonnes of grain. GGC said that illustrates the potential loss of $35 million for each day of a June strike.

“We urge the unions and railway companies to consider the broader impact of their negotiations,” Harpe said.

—Karen Briere writes for the Western Producer from Saskatchewan