Chatham-Kent’s Chamber of Commerce is adding its name to the list of organizations calling on the federal government to take action to avert a country-wide railway strike.
Canada’s two main rail companies, the Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), have both vowed to lockout roughly 9,300 union workers beginning on Thursday if a solution to an ongoing labour conflict cannot be reached. Union reps also issued a 72-hour strike notice to CPKC late on Sunday.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce warned that any rail disruption could have far-reaching consequences.
“Railroads are a vital link in our supply chain, facilitating the movement of goods across North America. CN, with its extensive east-west and north-south network, connects Chatham-Kent to ports on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, as well as to all three NAFTA nations,” the chamber said in the statement.
The chamber said the local agriculture sector in particular would be significantly impacted by a work stoppage.
“We recognize the critical role that rail transportation plays in our local economy. This is a critical time of year as the agricultural sector is in full swing with expectations of shipping perishable goods to destinations across Canada and abroad,” the chamber said.
As a result of the impending lockouts and strike, the CK Chamber has joined with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and over 125 associations and chambers across Canada in calling for immediate action. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon, the groups are urging the federal government to intervene to avert a disruption in Canada’s Class I railways.
“Concurrent or sequential work stoppages at both major railways will leave Canadians with access to fewer goods and products, driving up prices and exacerbating affordability challenges. A failure to act swiftly will also put the livelihoods of millions of workers in jeopardy,” the CK Chamber said.
The contracts for rail workers at both companies expired at the end of 2023 and talks have been ongoing since. A failure of negotiations would halt the vast majority of the Canadian freight rail system.
According to the CK Chamber, railroads handle an estimated 40 per cent of the nation’s freight annually.