KAP Calls For An Immediate Solution To The Railway Labor Dispute

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) is calling all parties involved in the railway labor dispute to reach an immediate agreement and prevent a strike.

The recent announcement by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board means that railway workers at CN and CPKC can walk off the job—at the earliest—by August 22 if no agreement is reached.

“A strike involving thousands of railway workers at CN and CPKC would significantly harm the movement of agricultural product in Manitoba and across Canada,” said KAP president Jill Verwey.

CN and CPKC play an important role in the transportation of agricultural product and inputs across Manitoba. A strike of this scale would shock and harm an already fragile supply chain system.

“Producers in Manitoba are beginning to harvest and will be increasing the frequency of deliveries to elevators in the coming weeks. A strike at this time of the year is inconvenient, frustrating, and damages Canada’s reputation as a supplier of reliable, high-quality agricultural product,” said KAP general manager Brenna Mahoney.

During the spring of 2024, KAP expressed its concerns about a potential strike to CN, CPKC, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, and Minister Seamus O’Regan. KAP reiterated the importance of finding a mutually agreeable solution to prevent a nation-wide strike.

“We want all parties involved in this labor dispute to sit together and find a workable agreement. A swift and rapid agreement is needed to prevent the negative effects of a wide-scale strike,” concluded Verwey.