16 May 2007
Major Rail Users Not Affected by CPR Strike
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A CPR Potash train snakes its way through Alberta enroute to
Vancouver is seen this undated file photo.
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A strike at Canadian Pacific by the railway's track maintenance
workers appears not to have affected the company's biggest clients.
Still, some of the country's major rail users - who suffered during a Canadian National Railway strike earlier this year - are nervous
about the potential for delays if the strike, which started at just after midnight today, continues for several days.
"It isn't having any effect at this point," Maureen Fitzhenry, a spokesperson for the Canadian Wheat Board said in a
telephone interview from Winnipeg today.
The wheat board is one of the country's major rail shippers. Fitzhenry said Western farmers must move 4.5 million tonnes of grain off
the Prairies by the end of the crop year on 31 Jul 2007. About 60 percent of that will move on CP trains.
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Striking Canadian Pacific Railway workers hit the picket lines
in Toronto on Wednesday, 16 May 2007.
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"We're just nervous about the "what ifs"," said Fitzhenry.
A spokesperson for the Forest Product Association of Canada (FPAC), which represents many of the country's wood, pulp and paper
companies, described the strike as "a non-event."
In an email exchange, FPAC spokesperson Isabelle des Chenes said that virtually all of their facilities are served by CN.
"CP serves only 12 of our mills and they are primarily in eastern Canada where trucking exists... No one has indicated that they
expect any problems," she said.
Gerry Fedchun, president of the Toronto-based Auto Parts Manufacturers Association, also said in an email that his members
have not experienced any disruption to their operations. Fedchun said he believed that it would likely be at least a week before any
problems surfaced.
Some shippers, though, say the federal government ought to intervene immediately to bring an end to the strike.
There were reports that striking workers had prevented trucks from entering or exiting CP terminals in Vancouver and in Regina.
Business centres "shut down"
"Right now I understand quite a few of Canada's major business centres are shut down," said union leader William Brehl, who
represents the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
"No trucks are going in or out, no trains are getting loaded or unloaded."
The strike directly affects about 1,200 workers who maintain CPR's tracks and bridges.
However, the remaining CPR employees of the 3,200-strong union are honouring the picket line.
"What usually happens is they block the entrance into the yard and they let one person in at a time," a CPR employee in
Toronto, who does not work in the maintenance department, told CTV.ca.
The employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said it could take anywhere from 20 minutes to four hours just to get past the picket
line and into the rail yard.
"I'm not going to cross the picket line. They won't do it to us so were not going to do it to them either," he said.
Reaction from Ottawa
Federal labour minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn waited two weeks before introducing back-to-work legislation to
end a labour disruption earlier this year at Canadian National.
"We expect the same thing from Minister Blackburn this time around," said Greg Cherwyk, Winnipeg-based director
of Transportation for Pulse Canada, an association that represents growers of pea, lentils, beans, and chickpeas. Pulse Canada will
formally ask Blackburn today to immediately order striking workers back on the job.
As he exited a Conservative caucus meeting this morning, Blackburn refused to say if he was preparing back-to-work
legislation. He said he expects the two parties to resolve the issues themselves.
"I strongly believe this situation has to be resolved around the table," Blackburn said.
Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon said today that inspectors from his department are communicating "almost on an hourly
basis" with CP officials to ensure that all safety standards are met.
"I have spoken to railway officials and they will make sure that that concern is addressed," Cannon said. "We will be
watching this very closely."
CP has deployed about 1,300 management employees to do the job track maintenance and inspection jobs that the striking workers normally
do.
CP spokesman Mark Seland said in a telephone interview that the company is continuing with its regularly scheduled track inspections by
the same inspectors that were on the job prior to the strike.
Seland said other employees taking on new responsibilities have been given special training appropriate to their new tasks.
Union officials failed to reach an agreement with the company after mediation came to a halt on Saturday, at which time the
72-hour strike notice was given.
The Teamsters want a 13 percent wage increase for members over three years but CPR has repeatedly rejected the demand.
"The problems are that CP Rail is making money hand over fist," said Brehl. "They're making higher profits than they've
ever made in their history, and they're asking us - the lowest paid of their unionized employees - to make concessions to take
below-average wage increases."
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