For weeks now, the agriculture sector has been calling for action to avoid a potential rail strike urging the Federal Government to take action to stop the strike.
On Wednesday, with just hours left before the strike deadline for over 9000 CN and CPKC workers they gathered once again to voice their concerns.
Terry Youzwa, a farmer from Nipawin and chair of Pulse Canada says we're staring down a rail stoppage of historic proportions.
"Tonight the possibility of a lockout or strike on both national rail carriers becomes reality. As we have said for weeks the Federal Government could prevent this with the stroke of a pen by invoking Section 107 of the Labor Code and sending the parties to binding arbitration."
He says frankly it's mind-boggling that 150 years after the last spike was pounded, we are still trying to convince the Federal Government that functioning railways are important.
"Hundreds of millions of dollars of grains are delivered to elevators every week with the expectation that they will soon move on to fulfill contracts here in Canada and around the world. And if grain is not able to be delivered, farmers aren't getting paid with no rail service, grain deliveries and cash flow comes to a screeching halt. We get increased costs, zero cash flow and a reputation as a reliable supplier is forever damaged. We stand here today calling on the federal government to enforce binding arbitration and avoid this unnecessary economic disruption. There is time, but it's running out. The government must act now and save our country the economic pain and reputational damage."
Alberta farmer Andre Harpe, chair of the Grain Growers of Canada and vice-chair of the Canadian Canola Growers Association says a rail strike would be devastating for the countries 65,000 grain farmers and they are asking the government to use all powers available to avoid a rail shutdown.
"Our research indicates that the unprecedented dual work stoppage will cost grain farmers $43 million a day next week and that will increase to $50 million a day the week after. Simply put, rail transportation is essential to delivering the grain that Canadians and the world rely on. That is why grain farmers are asking for the government to use all powers available to avoid a shutdown tomorrow at all costs."
Vice Chair of the Canola Council of Canada Dean Roberts farms at Coleville, Saskatchewan.
He noted that farmers are already feeling the effects of a potential work stoppage as one of his local elevators has already started rationing space.
"This is negatively impacting my ability to manage cash flow and pay my bills. When a work stoppage comes into full effect, the impacts will only become more acute for canola farmers and the entire canola value chain. And to put some color to that, what we're talking about from a canola seed export perspective, we risk losing approximately $11 million per day in exports, together with another 20+ million per day in lost crush as a result of idle canola processing facilities."
He says the economic impact of the canola value chain is massive and likely impossible to recover.
"The numbers I cited are limited to losses experienced during the service disruption and do not account for potential future losses resulting from the effects of the stoppage on our international reputation. The stoppage will harm our international reputation as a reliable supplier with global customers at a time when we are seeing increased competition, protectionism and volatility in global markets. Make no mistake, unless the parties reach an agreement or unless the government is willing to take decisive action to prevent a work stoppage, we are sleepwalking into a calamity."
Roberts is urging the Federal Government to invoke Section 107 of the Canada Labor Code to maintain industrial peace and move the parties to binding arbitration to avoid a work stoppage.
"The time for action is now. The stakes are too high to sit back and hope for the best."