Joint Letter to Ministers on Potential Labour Disruption in Class I railways

August 9, 2024

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2

The Honourable Steven MacKinnon, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Labour and Seniors
Place du Portage Phase II
165 de l’Hôtel-de-Ville Street
Gatineau, Québec J8X 3X2

The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Transport and Quebec Lieutenant
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5

Dear Prime Minister and Ministers:

We are writing to urge you to immediately intervene and do everything necessary to avert a disruption in Canada’s Class I railways.

A concurrent or sequential work stoppage at both major railways will leave Canadians with access to fewer goods and products, driving up prices and exacerbating affordability challenges.  A failure to act swiftly will also put the livelihoods of millions of workers in jeopardy.

A disruption to our railway system will have an immediate impact on thousands of businesses from coast to coast and to commuters in several major urban centres. All of Canada’s ports, logistics and warehouse operators, and suppliers will be affected, while a prolonged stoppage will quickly lead to shortages of supplies for numerous industries, forcing businesses to suspend their operations and furlough their employees. Factoring in the millions of Canadian jobs that would be impacted, the magnitude of the disruption is daunting.

Our international reputation and relationship with our trading partners is also at stake. Canada’s railways transport $380 billion worth of goods annually – that’s over $1 billion each day – and account for half of the country’s exports. A prolonged railway strike will also surely weaken Canada’s negotiating position in advance of the renewal of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement in 2026. A loss of confidence from our most important trading partner would take years to repair.

The uncertainty around the potential of a nationwide rail strike has already forced businesses across the country to adjust their operations (see Appendix).

We are respectfully asking that you safeguard the well-being of Canadians and the country’s reputation as a reliable trading partner by ensuring that a disruption to our national railway system does not occur.

To support this effort, we would like to propose a meeting with you and a select group of association leaders as soon as possible. This meeting would provide an opportunity to discuss our concerns in detail and to explore how we, Canada’s business community, can support the government in preventing any potential disruption.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Alberta Food Processors Association
Aluminium Association of Canada
Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association
Animal Nutrition Association of Canada
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Footwear + Apparel Canada
BC Food & Beverage
Beer Canada
British Columbia Construction Association
British Columbia Trucking Association
Business Council of British Columbia
Business Council of Canada
Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Canadian Association of Recycling Industries
Canadian Automobile Dealers Association
Canadian Canola Growers Association
Canadian Cattle Association 
Canadian Construction Association
Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
Canadian Corrugated and Containerboard Association
Canadian Federation of Agriculture
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Canadian Fluid Power Association
Canadian Food Exporters Association
Canadian Franchise Association
Canadian Fuels Association
Canadian Home Builders’ Association
Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association
Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association
Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
Canadian Meat Council
Canadian Paint and Coatings Association
Canadian Pork Council
Canadian Produce Marketing Association
Canadian Rental Association
Canadian Steel Producers Association
Canadian Sugar Institute
Canadian Trucking Alliance
Canola Council of Canada
Cement Association of Canada
Chamber of Marine Commerce
Chemistry Industry Association of Canada
Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec
Electro-Federation Canada
Fenestration Canada
Fertilizer Canada
FETCO
Food & Beverage Atlantic
Food and Beverage Canada
Food and Beverage Ontario
Food & Beverage Manitoba
Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada
Food Producers of Canada
Forest Products Association of Canada
Freight Management Association of Canada
Global Automakers of Canada
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Grain Growers of Canada
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association of Canada
I.E. Canada
Independent Contractors and Businesses Association
L’Association du camionnage du Québec
Medtech Canada
Mining Association of Canada
National Maritime Group
Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario
New Car Dealers Association of B.C.
Ontario Craft Brewers
Pets Canada
Private Motor Truck Council of Canada
Pulse Canada
Quebec Employers Council
Quebec Hemp and Cannabis Industry Association
Responsible Distribution Canada
Retail Council of Canada
Saskatchewan Mining Association
Shipping Federation of Canada
Southern Interior Construction Association
Truck Training School Association of Ontario
Western Canadian Shippers’ Coalition
Western Grain Elevator Association
Wheat Growers Association
Wood Manufacturing Cluster of Ontario

Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce
Alberta Chambers of Commerce
Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce
Atlantic Chamber of Commerce
Battlefords & District Chamber of Commerce
Burlington Chamber of Commerce
Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Cap-Acadie Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant
Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton
Chetwynd Chamber of Commerce
Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce
Consort & District Chamber of Commerce
Fort Nelson & District Chamber of Commerce
Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce
Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
High River Chamber of Commerce
London Chamber of Commerce
Madoc & District Chamber of Commerce
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
Mississauga Board of Trade
North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce
Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce
Prince George Chamber of Commerce
Quebec’s Federation of Chambers of Commerce
Quinte West Chamber of Commerce
Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
Surrey Board of Trade
Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce
Tillsonburg District Chamber of Commerce
Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce
Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce
Tumbler Ridge Chamber of Commerce
Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce
Yorkton Chamber of Commerce