UCP Ministers call on Trudeau to intervene in CN Rail strike

EDMONTON – Alberta’s energy and agriculture ministers are calling on the federal government to put the brakes on the CN Rail strike.

It comes as grain shippers worry about the impact of the strike by 3,200 Canadian National Railway workers in an already tough harvest year.

In a statement, Energy Minister Sonya Savage said “any disruption in shipments would have serious consequences for an economy that is already dealing with severe bottlenecks due to cancelled and delayed pipelines. Alberta cannot see further restrictions on our ability to export our product. Parliament is scheduled to return on Dec. 5. Unfortunately, even this short wait could result in serious damage not just to the Alberta economy, but to the Canadian economy as a whole.”

She is calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to immediately recall parliament and enact back-to-work legislation for CN Rail.

Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshan echoed that statement.

“Alberta farmers depend on rail to get their world-class products to market. We have seen the severe consequences of rail backlogs before. Farmers don’t need the added pain from compounding rail delays, especially after this difficult harvest. Now is the time to act.”

READ MORE: More than 3,000 CN Rail workers on strike, union says

Conductors, train persons and yard workers are on the picket lines, halting freight trains across the country and triggering worries about lost sales and contract penalties among grain elevator operators and farmers.

A delayed grain crop has already caused headaches for the industry following a dry spring and wet summer.

Though the yield was big, some of it remains in the field, increasing pressure on the rail system.

Wade Sobkowich, head of the Western Grain Elevator Association, says when you lose a day of shipping, you never recover it.

He says once they’re not moving trains, you’re basically shut down without any alternatives until the issue is resolved.

Sobkowich says CN services about half the elevators in Western Canada, on top of exclusive access to the grain terminal on Vancouver’s North Shore and the port in Prince Rupert, B.C.

The federal government is urging CN Rail and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference to continue negotiating.

Labour Minister Patty Hajdu says the government is concerned about the impact of a work stoppage on Canadians but remains hopeful the two sides will reach an agreement.

Union spokesman Christopher Monette says they are still in talks with CN in hopes of ending the labour dispute as soon as possible.

The union has said passenger rail services in the country’s three biggest cities would not be affected by the strike.

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