Just wondering if anyone else is seeing slow movement on special crops? My processor is telling me it's due to the CN strike but I wanted to see if anyone else is seeing or hearing similar things?
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Grainboy,
In Calgary at the WBGA/WCWGA convention we were told the container taffic system was in almost as bad a backup as during the 2005 truckers strike... before the CN Rail problems with the engeneer stike.
I saw a long unit train of containers on the CN mainline headed west on my way to Edmonton yesterday... so there are some containers still moving on CN.
We were told the Container problem was there were simply too many containers for the system... in Vancouver... not that the CN strike itself had caused the problem... it could actually help clear the backlog from what I heard. Obviously shipping CP could get around the CN problem.
It sounds like the Labour Relations Board (I think this was the quasijudicial body) ruling on the CN strike is supposed to come out today (Monday)... and if things go as planned in 3 days with opposition cooperation there should be legislation past to end the strike at CN if needed.
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FYI this is the order of process for transportation, that exists all the time but is priorized during a strike:
Mainline
Secondary line
Branch line
Order of priority:
Consummer goods
Industrial goods
Agricultural products
Reason higher value goods have higher freight costs and they have priority.
Order of priority for agricultural
100 car shippers
50 car shippers
25 car shipper
small shippers.
This is the reason why agriculture is a low priority and small processors are last.
So, did you contact your Premier, MLA and MP about making grain an essential service?
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The NDP is holding up back to work legislation til Thrusday!!
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Canada's labor minister said negotiations to end the strike at Canadian National Railway (CNR.TO: Quote, Profile , Research) were going better on Friday, but the government introduced legislation to end the strike in case the talks fail.
The nearly two-week-old strike by 2,800 freight train conductors and switchyard employees at Canada's largest railway has shippers across the country howling about lost service. Ford Motor Co of Canada (F.N: Quote, Profile , Research) idled one of its Ontario assembly plants on Friday for a second time.
"The discussions are going in a better way, but there is still no agreement," Labour Minister Jean Pierre-Blackburn said of the talks between CN and the United Transportation Union.
The sides were still at the bargaining table on Friday evening trying to reach an agreement before the government stepped in, a union official said.
Blackburn introduced legislation on Friday to end the dispute. The minority Conservative government believes it has the support of other parties needed to pass the bill, but opposition from the pro-labor New Democratic Party means a final vote is not expected until Wednesday or Thursday.
"What's at stake here is the economy of Canada.... The economy is paralyzed at present," Blackburn said in introducing the back to work legislation. Continued...
A Canadian National spokesman disagreed with Blackburn's assessment of the talks. The sides are still well apart on a number of issues, and CN was "not optimistic about reaching a negotiated settlement," Mark Hallman said.
CN has said government intervention was needed because of deep splits within the union's leadership, which have complicated the negotiating process.
The UTU has called the legislation premature.
"Our preference and objective is a negotiated settlement that avoids being legislated back to work," said Frank Wilner, a spokesman for the union.
The sides at are odds over a range of issues including wages and work rules -- such as disciplinary procedures -- which have become an increasing source of complaints from Canadian National's employees.
The UTU's international leadership this week suspended its original negotiating team, alleging they had been using the strike as part of a bid to split off the union's Canadian locals so they would join the rival Teamsters union.
The Teamster sent a letter to striking UTU workers on Thursday, telling them their union rights would be respected with the Teamsters Canadian Rail Conference.
Canadian National has used management crews to replace the striking workers, but shippers say that service is operating at less than half capacity.
"We're working the best we can," Hallman said.
Ford said it had to again idle its plant in St. Thomas, about 200 km (125 miles) west of Toronto, because it could not get enough supplies for the facility.
Canfor Corp. (CFP.TO: Quote, Profile , Research) has also halted production at its sawmills in Western Canada, and its chief executive said on Friday it could take several weeks to clear the backlog of lumber production even if the strike ends quickly.
The strike has not stopped commuter trains in Toronto and Montreal, but Blackburn said the union has warned it will break an agreement not to disrupt those passenger services if no deal is reached.
About 500 union members in eastern Canada have crossed picket lines. A few strikers in Western Canada have also returned to work, according to CN and the union.
Union and company officials said between 75 percent and 80 percent of the workers remain on strike, despite calls by a dissident faction within the union to return to their jobs.
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