The shutdown of both of Canada’s major freight railways would have had devastating impacts on Alberta’s agricultural industry.
On the afternoon of Thursday, August 22, Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon used his powers under the Canada Labour Code to refer separate labour disputes between Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City and the union representing Rail workers to binding arbitration through the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
RMA, along with the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, recently called on Minister MacKinnon to settle the dispute through binding arbitration due to the massive impacts that a disruption in freight rail service would have on the agriculture industry and rural communities across the Prairie provinces.
While it is unclear exactly when the labour disruption will end, Minister MacKinnon has stated that he expects service to resume “within days.”
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@RMAlberta.com