CN moved a record volume of grain in the crop year that just ended, while CPKC moved the most since 2021-22. But the WGEA said it wasn’t moved at the right time.
Tag Archives Western Grain Elevator Association
Grain movement booms; timeliness a concern
CN sets record and CPKC has big year, but shippers say weekly rail car order fulfilment was disappointing
Demands continue to reform interswitching
Prairie grain shippers insist extended interswitching should be made permanent so all Prairie regions are accommodated
REGINA — Grain companies last week added their voice to the call for extended interswitching. Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, said the practice is an example of low-hanging fruit that would provide rail rate and service competition for shippers. He said it’s one of the only tools shippers have to […] Read more
Grain trade reputation on the line
Industry worries about what ‘double whammy’ labour disputes will mean for the country following Vancouver port strike
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s reputation in international grain markets took another hit when the most recent labour dispute shut down six grain terminals in Vancouver, industry says. Workers reached a tentative deal late last week, but transportation observers say the damage is being done. “Every two years, roughly, we end up with some form of […] Read more
Damage assessed as railways resume operations
Glacier FarmMedia – 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. When the conflict between the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union and both Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National Railway came to a head Aug. 22, […] Read more
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. Just after midnight Aug. 22, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and the Canadian National Railway made good on their threat to lock out employees. The TCRC […] Read more
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. “The impact of a strike would be particularly severe on bulk commodity exporters in both Canada and the United States as trucking is not a viable option […] Read more
Rail strike vote concerns producers
Farm groups sounded the alarm after workers at both of Canada’s major railways voted to strike. “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,” […] Read more
Railway workers at CN, CPKC vote to strike, says union
REUTERS – Thousands of railway workers in Canada at Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) have voted overwhelmingly to strike as early as May 22, the union said today. Railways are critical to Canada’s economy, due to its vast geography and exports of grain, potash and coal. Related story: Railway strike […] Read more
Rail strike looms
Glacier FarmMedia – Another rail strike could be drawing near. Members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) are in the middle of a strike vote. The vote comes after three collective agreements, covering CN and CPKC engineers and conductors as well as rail traffic controllers at CPCK, expired December 31. The TCRC electronic strike […] Read more
Bad weather derails smooth grain movement
Glacier FarmMedia – At the midway point of the 2023–24 transportation year, grain shipments are moving at a good clip. “In the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve seen some really good performance from both of the railroads,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, Canada’s grain monitor, at last month’s CropConnect conference in Winnipeg. […] Read more
