Port Robinson woman to continue fight against idling trains
Rumbling noise during CN strike a wake-up call
The weeklong strike by CN Rail workers was more than a wake-up call for June Wolfrath.
It might very well be a harbinger of the fight to come.
In the days after rail workers walked off the job on Nov. 19, the Port Robinson woman was distressed to learn that not only would the trains remain parked in the rail yard just outside her home, the engines would be idling, non-stop, day and night, causing a rumbling sound that shook her home.
Speaking with Niagara This Week at the time, workers set up at a nearby picket line said members secured the trains and left them in a safe manner. They explained that when temperatures dip below 5 C, trains are left idling so as to prevent ice buildup in the watercooled engine blocks, which could lead to burst pipes.
Understanding the reason, Wolfrath wanted to know if the trains could be moved away from the homes for the duration of the strike.
She called CN directly, and also reached out to Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey and Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini.
The calls worked, and by last Friday, management staff came by and moved the trains.
On Tuesday, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, the union representing rail workers, announced a deal had been reached and that crews would return to work the next day.
For Wolfrath, this will mean having to deal with the regular train operations she came to expect when she first moved into the subdivision, including the sound of trains passing by and the louder noise that comes with trains shunting at the yard.
But now she knows she doesn’t have to put up with it quietly, and she plans to implore the company to do a better job of minimizing the disruption.
She said one thing she learned from the disruption caused during the strike was the importance of filing complaints, and she plans to do so on a regular basis with Badawey’s office, as rail is federally regulated. While she realizes trains have to idle in the cooler weather, Wolfrath said she hopes to have them moved away again if they’re left running for a long period of time.
“I’m not telling them to stop,” she said. But “I’m not going to throw in the towel.”
In response to a request for comment, CN spokesperson Alexandre Boule said that while idling can’t always be avoided, the company strives to be a good neighbour and is willing to assess what can be done in this case to minimize the inconvenience.
Residents are able to contact CN at contact@cn.ca or 1-888-888-5909.