Saskatchewan’s premier said the provincial government is exploring options to preserve rail service, as the Canadian Pacific (CP) Rail strike continues.
“We’re looking at what our options are as a province to preserve that service, that CP and CN collectively need to provide to our Saskatchewan communities,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said following Question Period Monday.
The strike entered its second day on Monday, after CP Rail’s Canadian operations shut down due to a work stoppage.
Moe said he is concerned about the province’s reputation being damaged if the rail strike affects its ability to obtain resources to international markets.
“If there is that lengthy protracted service disruption, that will cause Saskatchewan, that will cause us very much on the international stage some reputational damage, in being a sustainable supplier of potash, of uranium, of agri-food products, and that’s a problem for us,” Moe said.
The premier did not offer any ideas for what provincially imposed solutions could look like.
“We don’t know what options or levers we have, but we’re looking at what those may be with respect to that future reputational damage of Saskatchewan products,” Moe said.
NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon encouraged Canadian Pacific to find a resolution to the dispute.
“I think we need to be crystal clear to CP that they need to negotiate a deal,” Wotherspoon said.
“When you look at CP, they make billions of dollars a year. They’ve cut significant rolling stock and locomotive capacity over the last number of years. It’s unacceptable for them not to find a solution with their workers and to get the trains moving.”
The premier and Wotherspoon encouraged both parties to remain at the bargaining table until a deal is done, to limit possible disruptions. Moe also echoed his call on the federal government to classify rail service as essential.
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference represents about 3,000 unionized locomotive engineers, conductors, train and yard workers. It has been negotiating a new contract with CP Rail since September.
With files from the Canadian Press