Federal Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan said via social media that CP Rail and the Teamsters Rail Conference worked through the night with federal mediators to try to come to an agreement.  So far talks have not yielded a deal.

After a lockout notice was issued earlier in the week, more than 3-thousand engineers, conductors, yard workers, and other train employees were off the job at midnight.  There are 26 outstanding issues, including wages, benefits and pensions.

Teamsters Canada Rail Conference issued a news release saying “shortly before the lockout was announced, the Teamsters Union expressed its desire to continue bargaining. Unfortunately, the employer chose to put the Canadian supply chain and tens of thousands of jobs at risk. As Canadians grapple with a never-ending pandemic, exploding commodity prices and the war in Ukraine, the rail carrier is adding an unnecessary layer of insecurity, especially for those who depend on the rail network.”

CP Rail then responded on Twitter with this statement, “Work stoppage initiated by TCRC: CP said tonight that while CP was still engaged in ongoing negotiations facilitated by federal mediators, the TCRC withdrew its services and issued a news release misrepresenting the status of the talks.”

Canada’s supply chain had already been facing significant challenges after floods in British Columbia last year washed out track and suspended access to Canada’s biggest port.  CP has said a stoppage would disrupt the movement of grain, potash and coal. Just this week Nutrien announced it was increasing potash production in light of the invasion in Ukraine disrupting production of fertilizer in Eastern Europe and for prairie producers, last year’s extensive drought has forced cattle feeders to import as much as 80 percent of their feed requirements in the form of corn, anywhere between 80 and 100-thousand tonnes a week.