Looming CP Rail strike ‘disastrous’ for farmers in B.C. and around the world

A strike that could affect one of two major rail lines in Canada is imminent unless the two sides can come to a last-minute agreement.

Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents more than 3,000 rail engineers and conductors, voted in favour of strike action last month over bargaining terms with its employer, CP Rail.

As of Sunday, the union has been in a position to issue a strike notice and commence work stoppage.

That would leave the world’s number one exporter of fertilizer in a dire position, according to the industry.

“There’s no worse time that I can think of for this to happen,” Karen Proud, President of Fertilizer Canada said. That’s because the other leaders in fertilizer production are Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. With war and sanctions in place, those markets are either cut off or running short.

“Now more than ever, I think the world is counting on Canada to be able to grow as much food as possible, as well as Canadians domestically,” she said.

“CP has been meeting with the TCRC and federal mediators throughout the weekend in the hope of achieving a negotiated settlement and averting a work stoppage. Those negotiations are continuing in Calgary,” a statement from CP Rail reads in part.

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Proud says even a single day would cause weeks of delays in getting trains back on track. The window for growing is incredibly short and just weeks away, especially for those in B.C., who already lost millions in the November floods and other extreme weather events.

“This would be the year to really be able to make up production and to have a good growing season for farmers, which is why it is so important to ensure that we have the amount of fertilizer at retail or at retail that farmers need in order to maximize their crops. You need fertilizer to grow plants, you need fertilizer to get the most out of your yields and if it’s not there then we’ve missed an opportunity that we’re not going to get back,” she said.

Shipping by truck is also not a viable option, Proud adds. She says there is already a shortage of truck drivers in the country and existing supply chain issues, and that the vast amount could not be feasibly shipped in time.

“Seventy-five per cent of fertilizer moves via rail across the country. So if there’s a rail strike, you can just see how much of an impact that can have on fertilizer and us being able to get the fertilizer to the ports to then meet the international demand as well as the domestic supply. So, we only have two rail choices in Canada. If one of them goes down even for a day the delays can be really disastrous for farmers,” she said.

If workers do strike, Proud is urging the federal government to step in to order them back.