November 18, 2019 – CN rail has released the following statement:
“We would like to update you on CN’s collective bargaining with the Teamsters Canadian Rail Conference (TCRC-CTY), which represents approximately 3,200 of CN employees working as train conductors and railyard coordinators in Canada.
Negotiations continued throughout the night and early morning and will resume later today. We will continue to work with the TCRC-CTY in order to reach a fair agreement before the strike deadline of 00:01 hours EST Tuesday, November 19, 2019.
This weekend, we have been clearing our mainline to prevent trains from becoming stranded out on the network if a labour stoppage occurs. Similarly, as communicated last night, to keep our yards from becoming congested at the time of a work stoppage, as of this morning we have stopped pulling cars released from customer sidings.
In the event of a work stoppage, our customers and supply chain partners should anticipate significant disruption to our usual level of service due to our limited ability to operate.”
The Canadian National Railway Company serves as an important supply chain link for Canada’s key trade corridors and gateways. CN crosses Canada from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and follows the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, linking customers in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. As the largest rail network operator in Canada, a CN rail strike or lockout will impact numerous businesses and industries across the country. CN has confirmed that the following is already in effect:
- U.S. cargo embargo has begun, and a stoppage of cargo movement is in effect.
- Intermodal cargo will be moving from ocean terminals to inland terminals using management staff.
- Pick up of Intermodal containers will be functioning at a limited pace by management at those sites. Picket lines will likely affect this.