Farmers, potash miners watch as rail workers vote for strike action
SASKATOON Saskatchewan farmers are growing concerned about the possibility of a strike at one of the country’s major railway companies in the middle of what is expected to be a busy month of grain shipments following a delayed harvest.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, which represents around 3,000 Canadian National Railway Co. employees, said Monday its members, who have been without a contract since July, could go on strike as early as Nov. 19.
That’s “very bad timing,” as any disruption to grain shipments before the coldest months of the year could prove detrimental to farmers, said Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Todd Lewis.
“We’ve got some catching up to do already this fall,” Lewis said of this year’s harvest, the progress and quality of which has been hampered by poor weather across much of the province — putting pressure on farmers already.
“We’ve got customers that want our product,” Lewis continued, adding that farmers have little recourse and even a short disruption like the hours-long Canadian Pacific Ltd. strike last year could still have negative effects.
Few farmers in the province are likely keen to see anything hold up grain shipments, even for a short time. There have been two costly backlogs, largely caused by bitter winter weather, over the last six years.
Farmers are not the only Saskatchewan businesses that rely on the railways. The province’s potash mining companies and Canpotex Ltd., their international marketing arm, use rail cars to get their fertilizer to port and on to markets.
Canpotex, which is owned by
Nutrien Ltd. and Mosaic Co., is “in consultation with CN to better understand any potential impact a service disruption could have to our supply chain,” spokeswoman Natashia Stinka said.
“To the extent there may be an impact, we would then pursue mitigation plans accordingly,” she wrote in an email.
The Teamsters said 99.2 per cent of its CN employee members voted in favour of strike action last month, but emphasized that it will continue negotiation with the railway company beginning Nov. 12.
The effects (of a strike) would be that freight traffic at CN would come to a halt.
Teamsters spokesman Christopher Monette said the union is working with federal mediators with the aim of reaching a negotiated settlement, but acknowledged that “push is starting to come to shove.”
Monette declined to answer questions about issues or potential sticking points at the bargaining table, but said the strike vote announcement means CN management will likely “feel a bit of pressure.”
“The effects (of a strike) would be that freight traffic at CN would come to a halt. Of course, before we go on strike we will give at least 72 hours advanced notice, as required by federal law,” he said.
Jonathan Abecassis, a spokesman for CN, issued a short statement on Monday: “CN remains hopeful that an agreement will be reached with the (Teamsters Canada Rail Conference).”