Mediator called in as rail strike clogs Canadian ports

Canada’s federal government has appointed a mediator in a bid to resolve the strike at Canadian National Railway &#8211 now in its second week &#8211 which has sparked port congestion from coast to coast. The decision to step in was taken late on Monday (February 19), soon after the work stoppage was ruled legal by the Canada Industrial Relations Board. &#8220I want the dispute ended in hours, not days,&#8221 said labour minister Pierre Blackburn, who yesterday (Tuesday, February 20) convened the two sides for a meeting. The board rejected a claim that the strike, which was launched on February 10 by 2,800 conductors and yard workers in Canada over wages and working conditions, was illegal because the United Transportation Union had failed to obtain approval from its US head office. Canadian National management employees have been filling in for striking conductors to keep freight trains rolling &#8211 but obviously relatively far from near full capacity. Union officials argue that there are considerable safety risks involved, with many managers lacking sufficient training and experience for often dangerous tasks. In both eastern and western Canada, shippers are anxious for the dispute to end. Ford Canada has shut down its assembly plant in St Thomas, Ontario, because parts supply shortfalls have prevented it from keeping production rolling. &#8220It’s starting to bite,&#8221 said Garry Fedchum, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association. &#8220It’s like a bunch of dominoes falling down.&#8221 Several industry associations have urged the federal government to impose back-to-work legislation, and sources close to the situation suggest that this could be the next step should the mediation efforts fail. The continuation of the strike is having a devastating effect on the country’s third-largest exporting industry, Larry Macdonald, chairman of the Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association, said. &#8220This is nuts,&#8221 declared Ian May, chairman of the Western Canadian Shippers Coalition, whose members move about C$18.7bn of products annually by rail. Meanwhile, already coping with the a large backlog of containers at Deltaport due to recent bad weather, the Port of Vancouver reported that railcar supply issues &#8220are approaching serious levels&#8221 as a result of the strike. In Vancouver, according to an internal memo to customers, Canadian Pacific Railway noted that freight trains &#8220are not running smoothly&#8221 due to events beyond its control, including the Canadian National strike, and the railway will not be liable for delays on such matters as grain shipments.

No Results