A strike at Canadian National Railway has been averted, at least for the time being. CN officials announced late yesterday that a new tentative labour agreement had been reached with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, the union representing train conductors and yard workers. Earlier this week, roughly 3,000 CN workers represented by Teamsters served notice […] Read more
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CN reaches tentative deal with union
Tubbs Journey good choice for those new to snowshoeing
Tubbs Journey snowshoes are constructed from modern designs and materials. They come in 8 x 25 inch, 9 x 30 inch and 10 x 36 inch sizes and weigh 3.9 to 5.6 pounds. An aluminum frame provides support for each shoe. Synthetic material is used for decking, which is what compresses the snow under your […] Read more
Asia struggles to control bird flu viruses
HONG KONG (Reuters) — Hong Kong began culling 20,000 chickens and suspended imports of fresh poultry from mainland China for 21 days Jan. 28 after the discovery of the H7N9 bird flu virus in a batch of live chickens from the southern province of Guangdong. The government order took effect two days before celebrations began […] Read more
Private sector pivotal in wheat’s future
Variety development | Breeders need greater royalties as incentive, says wheat commission chair
EDMONTON — Farmers need to discuss ways to increase investment in wheat research so they retain the cereal as a viable crop. Kent Erickson, chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission, said they must start asking themselves if more producer involvement is needed, if they want to own plant breeding programs or facilities and what role […] Read moreCanada plans back-to-work legislation for possible CN strike
OTTAWA, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Canadian Labour Minister Kellie Leitch said on Wednesday the Conservative government plans to introduce back-to-work legislation to deal with a potential strike at Canadian National Railway Co, the country’s No. 1 rail operator. “Today, our Conservative government is taking action to protect Canada’s economy and Canadian grain farmers by indicating […] Read more
U.S. launches ‘climate hubs’ to help farmers face climate change
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s administration announced the formation on Wednesday of seven “climate hubs” help farmers and rural communities adapt to extreme weather conditions and other effects of climate change. The hubs will act as information centers and aim to help farmers and ranchers handle risks, including fires, pests, floods and […] Read more
Conductors’ union puts Canada’s CN Rail on strike notice – Updated
TORONTO, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Canadian National Railway Co said on Wednesday the union representing 3,000 of its workers gave notice it intends to strike as early as Saturday, threatening one of the country’s most important transport networks. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference said that CN, the country’s largest rail operator, told the union early […] Read more
Drought forces California farmers to idle cropland
LOS ANGELES, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Drought-stricken California farmers facing drastic cutbacks in irrigation water are expected to idle some 500,000 acres of cropland this year in a record production loss that could cause billions of dollars in economic damage, industry officials said. Large-scale crop losses in California, the No. 1 U.S. farm state producing […] Read more
Ritz would consider all options to end CN strike
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz says Ottawa would consider all of its options, including back to work legislation, in the event of a strike by workers at Canadian National Railway. “Everybody has the right to collective bargaining and certainly we don’t disapprove of that, but at the end of the day … from an agricultural […] Read more
Alberta Wheat Commission leadership re-elected
Kent Erickson of Irma, Alta., and Henry Vos of Fairview, Alta., will continue as chair and vice-chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission in 2014. The two were re-elected to their executive positions following the AWC annual meeting at the end of January. Erickson represents region three and Vos region five. Elections were held for directors […] Read more
