Update courtesy of CME
An estimated $531M in manufactured goods will be stuck on rail lines each day of a Class I rail shutdown, a process that is already underway.
What Manufacturers Need to Know
Last week, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) issued a ruling that clears the way for work stoppages at both of Canada’s Class I railways, CN Rail and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) as soon as August 22. Both railways are expected to start suspending service in advance of August 22 to ensure an orderly wind down of rail activity.
Working on Your Behalf
CME has been in consistent communication with the federal government to underscore the significant damage that a stoppage will have on manufacturers and their workers. Your input into our May Manufacturer Rail Survey pegged losses at an average $275,000 per day. CME is pushing for government to take immediate and decisive action to prevent a stoppage, as well as for longer-term legislative reforms to allow the government to impose binding arbitration when critical supply chain infrastructure is impacted by labour disruptions. Here are our most recent actions:
- Our statement on August 9th, calling for the emergency meetings of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transportation.
- CME has cosigned a letter with 100+ business organizations to the Prime Minister and Ministers urging them to take action to prevent a stoppage.
How You Can Help
If a rail stoppage will impact your business, we encourage you to reach out through a call or email to your Member of Parliament as well as your provincial CME vice president. The best way to motivate the government to take action is for elected officials to hear directly from employers in their constituency about the harm that a stoppage will have on your business and employees. You can find a list of Members of Parliament with their email address and office phone numbers here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/search
Next Steps
CME will continue to advocate to decision makers and in the media for the government to do everything in its power to prevent a loss of rail service. We will keep members updated throughout as developments occur on through email, social media and our information hub. If you have any questions or to share the impacts of a stoppage, please reach out to Ryan Greer, Vice President, Policy and Public Affairs at 613-324-6012 or ryan.greer@cme-mec.ca.