Below are links to all our recent coverage of the rail stoppage that will harshly impact the ag industry.
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Farming Smarter receives financial boost from Alberta government for potato research
Farming Smarter near Lethbridge got a boost to its research equipment, thanks to the Alberta government’s increase in funding for research associations.
Posted Wednesday September 4, 2024:
Damage assessed as railways resume operations – Canada narrowly averted a transportation disaster in August. Now legal experts are digesting the repercussions of the recent labour dispute at the nation’s two major railways.
Posted Tuesday September 3, 2024:
Focus turns to improving rail – When the elephants fight, the grass suffers — African proverb. Farmers can feel like they’re a badly bashed patch of turf whenever the three elephants of the rail system — the railway companies, the unions and the government — lock tusks and fight for dominance.
Posted Wednesday August 27, 2024:
Railway labour dispute takes twists and turns – The Canadian agriculture sector is taking stock after the labour dispute between Canada’s two main railways and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union came to a rolling boil last week.
Rail labour disputes hold sharp knife against thin throat – Holding a knife to the throat of Canada has become a predictable national dysfunction. The railroad companies and their unions just did that to farmers, with both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City simultaneously slashing national jugular veins before the federal government stepped in to end the escalating labour dispute.
Posted Monday August 25, 2024:
Canadian rail decision is a win for companies, union leader says – A decision obliging more than 9,000 Canadian rail workers to stay on the job is a win for the railways and could impact bargaining in other federally regulated sectors like aviation, the head of a Canadian rail workers’ union told Reuters.
Posted Friday August 23, 2024:
CN workers issue strike notice for Monday – The union representing workers at Canadian National Railway said today they would strike next week, in a fresh threat to the economy after vowing to challenge a government decision to end an unprecedented rail stoppage.
Teamsters issue strike notice to CN, CPKC stoppage ongoing – UPDATED: 0930 CST – August 23, 2024 – Glacier FarmMedia – The union representing Canadian National workers has issued a strike notice to the company, effective Monday.
Posted Thursday August 22, 2024:
Federal government intervenes to end rail lockout with binding arbitration – Federal Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon has intervened in the labour dispute between the railways and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC).
Rail lockout will roil North American supply chains – Canada’s two main railways locked out around 10,000 of their Canadian unionized workers early today, starting an unprecedented simultaneous work stoppage that will grind almost all railway freight movement in the country to a halt.
Canada’s railways grind to a halt – The lockout of rail workers by Canada’s two major railways has begun.
Posted Wednesday August 21, 2024:
Time is running out for a negotiated settlement for Canada’s railway labour dispute – As pressure mounts on the federal government to intervene in the labour dispute between Canada’s two largest railways and their workers, the threat of a stoppage became reality early August 22nd.
Senators Black, Robinson urge ministers to intervene in rail dispute – Senators Rob Black and Mary Robinson have urged federal ministers to intervene to prevent a rail strike or lockout, according to a letter posted to social media this morning.
Truckers scramble as railway stoppage looms – TORONTO (Reuters) — As Canada braced for a freight rail stoppage that could hit industries ranging from autos to agriculture, the trucking sector said it faced higher demand it could not meet.
Posted Tuesday August 20, 2024:
N. American farm groups ask gov’ts to act on rail dispute – CHICAGO/OTTAWA (Reuters) — Nearly three dozen North American agriculture groups, in a joint letter to the U.S. and Canadian governments, urged action today to avoid a rail stoppage.
Canada tells railways, union to work harder – OTTAWA (Reuters) — Canada’s labour minister will meet with the country’s two main railway companies and the Teamsters union in Montreal today and Calgary tomorrow to try to avert a crippling rail transport stoppage.
Rail stoppage to hit fertilizer sector hard – REUTERS — Fertilizer Canada warns that disruptions impacting all rail services across the country will cost the fertilizer industry an estimated $55 to $63 million per day in lost sales revenue, not including logistical and operational costs.
Rail stoppage would affect a variety of industries – REUTERS — Canada’s freight rail network could come to a grinding halt this week, likely extracting a huge economic toll across industries as the country’s two leading rail companies plan an unprecedented work stoppage.
Posted Monday August 19, 2024:
The looming rail strike: How did we get here? – The labour dispute between Canada’s railways and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) reached a critical juncture on August 9.
Freight stoppage looms as railways issue lockout notices – OTTAWA (Reuters) — Canada’s freight rail network could come to a grinding halt this week, inflicting a huge economic toll after the country’s two largest railroad operators on Sunday issued lockout notices to the Teamsters union that represents nearly 10,000 workers.
Key facts about Canada’s railways – OTTAWA (Reuters) — Canada is facing unprecedented simultaneous stoppages at both of its main freight rail operators, which could inflict billions of dollars worth of economic damage.
Why Canada is on the verge of an unprecedented rail labour stoppage – OTTAWA (Reuters) — For the first time, Canada’s two main railways, Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, are on the verge of a simultaneous labour stoppage that could inflict billions of dollars’ worth of economic damage.
CPKC expands freight embargoes – OTTAWA (Reuters) — Canadian Pacific Kansas City said on Saturday it would halt any new rail shipments originating in Canada and all new U.S. shipments destined for Canada starting tomorrow if talks with its Canadian labour union fail to progress.
Older stories:
Looming rail strike threat must be addressed now – It’s never a good idea to count your chickens before they hatch — or in the case of grain farmers, seeds before they’re in the bin — but it looks like a bumper crop might be on the way.
Agriculture groups campaign against rail strike – The Stopthestrike.ca campaign was launched shortly after the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) decision on August 9 that confirmed rail transport is deemed non-essential.
