The threat of a work stoppage for both Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Railway and Canadian National (CN) Railway has become very real to Canadians.
The two companies locked out their employees at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Thursday. A phased shutdown of the networks was already underway earlier as both companies prepare for job action.
Both companies had previously issued lockout notices, while the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) delivered a 72-hour strike notice. A total halt to rail traffic was set to begin early Thursday morning unless the parties could agree to a deal or binding arbitration.
People in Estevan and other communities are often frustrated with the railway companies. We get agitated when a train rolls through town at the worst possible times, such as when we're on our way to or from work or school, or heading out for lunch, or when we absolutely have to be somewhere but can't cross the tracks. Occasionally the train isn't moving, it's moving slowly or it's backing up.
But we would hope that everyone recognizes the essential nature of the rail companies to our economy. The two companies move roughly $1 billion worth of goods per day, ranging from wheat to minerals, oil to consumer goods. They might annoy us at times, and we might wish they did things a little differently, but they play a vital role in our economy.
Virtually every business lobby group in the country has been speaking out about the negative consequences of this work stoppage. Talk to a farmer about how much this will hurt. Talk to an oil company about the impact. Talk to a mining company. Talk to a business that leans on rail for shipping. They'll explain why this is bad news, not just for shipping within Canada but for exports.
We've known that this could happen for some time. Yet the federal government, did not step in to stop it. Is it because they don't recognize the role that the rail companies play in our economy? We'd hope that's not the case; a young person who spends five minutes researching the matter could understand why this is bad news. Is it because they don't want to alienate the New Democratic Party, who the Liberals need to push through its legislative and spending measures? You'd think parties could set aside their idealism and prevent a blow to our economy.
For whatever reason, the feds weren't willing to step in and stop things from happening.
We understand that the right to strike can be a necessary measure for a union to advance its goals in bargaining. But there are times when the government has to step in with back-to-work legislation to end a work stoppage or keep one from happening.
It would be tough to lose one of the railway companies. But losing both would is dire.
If the two sides can't reach an agreement, then the government needs to step in and prevent a strike or a lockout from happening. There are too many businesses and too many industries that rely on the railways to allow this to proceed.
