Canada’s Meat Industry Applauds Government Intervention in Rail Strike

The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) and the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) applaud the federal government for employing section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, as we had urged, to mitigate the unprecedented damage to industry this disruption to service was causing.

This move provided needed certainty to Canadian farmers and processors, and their customers around the world.

“Canada’s red meat processors need stable, reliable supply chains to run their businesses. The action taken by the Minister of Labour will prevent millions of dollars in losses, irreversible reputational damage, environmental disposal challenges, and enormous waste,” said Chris White, CEO, Canadian Meat Council.  “At the same time, we want to acknowledge the tremendous engagement by Minister MacAulay, who was available and accessible to hear directly from industry and convey our concerns to his cabinet colleague and the Prime Minister.”

Last summer’s Port of Vancouver strike disrupted $10.7 billion dollars’ worth of trade during the 35 days of strike action. The impacts of two Class 1 railways striking at once would have had even worse, unprecedented ramifications.

“The Canadian pork industry relies on the seamless operation of our transportation networks to feed our animals and deliver high-quality products to global markets. Ongoing transportation disruptions would threaten the livelihood of our producers, the welfare of our animals, and Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner,” said René Roy, Chair, Canadian Pork Council. “Actions like the ones the federal government just took are crucial to ensure the movement of perishable goods like pork and essential supplies like animal feed. The feed our pigs rely on to survive is shipped by rail, and without a reliable and steady supply, their welfare would be at risk. The stakes are simply too high to allow these disruptions to go unaddressed.”

While CMC and CPC respect workers’ rights to collective bargaining and believe the best deals are reached at the table, those interests must be balanced against the public interest. We are appreciative of the federal government’s actions today to bring certainty to our transportation issues. More importantly, we applaud the government’s bigger picture view to take animal care concerns, as well as the recognition of the environmental impacts of a prolonged strike.