A CN Rail train moves cargo containers at the Centerm Container Terminal at port in Vancouver, on July 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
MONTREAL – A potential work stoppage at Canada’s two major railways this week would harm small companies – from mom-and-pop shops to outfits with scores of workers – the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says.
“Any disruptions to railway operations could be devastating for small businesses, their employees and communities,” Jasmin Guenette, the group’s head of national affairs, said in a release.
“Many small businesses rely on rail services to send and receive goods, products and essential materials. The longer the work stoppage goes on, the costlier it becomes for small firms who may lose sales and contracts if goods are not delivered or received on time.”
A phased shutdown of the networks at Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. is already underway as the clock ticks down on negotiations with the union representing 9,300 engineers, conductors and yard workers. Both companies have issued lockout notices while the union has also threatened to strike.
A full-fledged halt to rail traffic is set to begin one minute past midnight on Thursday morning unless the parties can agree to a deal on new contracts or to binding arbitration following months of near-deadlock around wages and scheduling.
CN, after barring container imports from U.S. partner railroads on Friday, plans to stop loading any of the 40,000 containers it hauls each week – regardless of origin – starting Wednesday, according to company schedules.
A ban on all new cargo pickups at Canadian Pacific is coming Tuesday morning, it said last week.
The moves follow a halt on dangerous materials as well as shipments that need cooler temperatures, such as meat and medicine, to avoid seeing stranded loads go bad should a work stoppage occur.
For now, the 6,500 railcars that haul bulk grain across the country each week are still rolling.
“There is no ‘plan B’ because there aren’t competitive alternatives, and people around the world would suffer,” Wade Sobkowich, who heads the Western Grain Elevator Association, said in a release.
Bruce Burrows, CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, said about 27 per cent of water-borne freight carried through Quebec and Ontario relies on CN and CPKC.
“It is often said a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and a work stoppage at Canada’s Class 1 railways effectively breaks the supply chain for Canadians, and for many people around the world,” Burrows said.
Ports are poised to see containers pile up on their docks.
About 60 per cent of container shipments through the Port of Halifax travels by rail, spokeswoman Lori MacLean said.
“Canadian gateways have already seen a reduction of volumes due to the uncertainty around rail operations,” she said in an email.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:CNR, TSX:CP)
