Sask. potash giant urges 'timely resolution' as Canada's rail workers cleared to walk off the job

A federal labour tribunal has deemed rail workers non-essential, opening the door to a strike in under two weeks that could bring Canada’s supply chain screeching to a halt.

In a pair of rulings Friday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board said a work stoppage would pose no "serious danger" to public health or safety, despite concerns around food security, fuel supply and water treatment.

The decision means a May strike vote from the Teamster, which represents workers at both the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, could be put into action with workers walking off the job as early as Aug. 22.

Consequently, in the event of a work stoppage, employees of the two main railways would not be compelled to continue hauling goods, including key commodities such as chlorine for water and propane for care centres.

In a statement to CTV News on Tuesday, Saskatchewan-based global potash giant Nutrien cautioned a railroad work stoppage could “negatively impact farmers and food security around the globe.”

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“As the world’s largest supplier of crop inputs and services, Nutrien relies on reliable rail service and we are concerned that labour action could impact the ability to move our products,” Nutrien said.

“We are taking proactive measures to mitigate the impact to our customers in the event of a short-term disruption and urge all parties to reach a timely resolution to this dispute.”

The country’s grain farmers have also been watching the negotiations with growing unease since May.

According to the Grain Growers of Canada, 94 per cent of Canadian grain is transported by rail.

While the federal labour tribunal agreed a work stoppage on the railway would clearly “result in inconvenience and economic hardship,” in its unanimous decision the board maintained the strike wouldn’t pose an immediate and serious danger to the safety or health of the public — the threshold to be deemed an essential worker.

The sticking points at the bargaining table are crew scheduling, fatigue management and safety, said Teamsters Canada spokesperson Christopher Monette. The union has rejected binding arbitration with both companies.

Teamsters has been trying to negotiate a contract for rail workers since November 2023.

Each side says the other has made excessive demands that led to a weeks-long bargaining impasse.

Canadian railways haul some $380 billion worth of goods and more than half of the country's total exports each year, according to the Railway Association of Canada.

Anxiety over a strike by some 9,300 employees has already cost the two railways some business after some customers started to reroute cargo following the strike mandate authorization by union members on May 1.

-With Canadian Press files from Christopher Reynolds