The final countdown is on toward an unprecedented rail system shutdown across Canada later this week.
As of Sunday, both of Canada’s main railways — CN and CPKC — have formally issued notice to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference that they will be locking out over nine thousand TCRC-represented employees on Thursday, August 22 at 00:01 ET unless an agreement or binding arbitration is reached before then.
The union also issued 72-hour strike notice to CPKC on Sunday to retain the right to strike if the situation changes.
“Despite negotiations over the weekend, no meaningful progress has occurred, and the parties remain very far apart,” said CN, in an update late Sunday (Aug. 18).
“CPKC and CN continue to negotiate with Teamsters in Calgary and Montréal alongside federal mediators. I urge the parties to fulfill their responsibility to Canadians and reach agreements at the bargaining table. Workers, farmers, businesses and all Canadians are counting on them,” said federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon, in a post on social media on Sunday.
The minister rejected CN’s request to impose binding arbitration under section 107 of the Canada Labour Code late last week.
In the meantime, both railways have started shutting down their networks and embargoing certain shipments.
CN started halting certain intermodal imports from U.S. railways and ports on Friday. Both companies have also halted movement of products that are toxic for inhalation, including ammonia fertilizer, and some loads that require refrigeration, including meat.
CN said it will be issuing new embargo notices on Monday.
CPKC has shared the following timeline for its embargoes, assuming a deal is not reached before the August 22 deadline:
- As of Monday, Aug. 12, CPKC is not accepting all toxic by inhalation and poisonous by inhalation dangerous goods traffic originating in Canada or destined to a Canadian location.
- As of Thursday, Aug. 15, CPKC is not accepting loaded intermodal shipments classified as dangerous goods. This applies at all intermodal facilities for both domestic and international shipments destined to, or originating from, terminals and ports located in Canada.
- Effective Saturday, Aug. 17, the embargo will expanded to other dangerous goods including all Rail Security Sensitive Materials (RSSM) as well as the Time Sensitive Commodities.
- Effective Monday, Aug. 19, embargo expanded for all other dangerous goods shipments.
- Effective Tuesday, Aug. 20, embargos for all shipments originating in Canada, all shipments originating in the United States destined to Canada, and all carload traffic destined to Canadian interchange.
International shipping giant Maersk also informed customers on Monday that it would stop accepting shipments bound for Canada that require rail movement or exceed maximum truck weights.
Agriculture and business groups across the country are calling on Minister MacKinnon and the federal government to intervene, as more than a billion dollars worth of goods are moved by rail in Canada each day.
At least 20 farm and commodity groups are calling on the minister to impose binding arbitration, and are sounding the alarm on the damage a dual railway stoppage would have on the Canadian economy, through the “Stop The Strike” campaign.
