Grain shippers want assured rail service

Canadian National is making a major investment in its line in the state of Tennessee.

Canadian National Railway

FreightWaves reports that groups of Canadian grain shippers are trying to figure out how the government can ensure grain shipments can continue in the event of a strike like the one against Canadian National last year. Even though the strike was about a week long, it brought significant disruption to the grain-focused supply chain. In December, RT&S reported on a position taken by Canadian grain farmers that railway strikes impacting grain shipments should be illegal. You can read that story here. 

Wade Sobkowich, executive director of Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), said “The significance of declaring [rail] as an essential service is that strikes or lockouts would become unlawful. They would have to resolve their collective bargaining agreement through binding arbitration instead, but goods would continue to flow.”

For more information on this story, please click here.

For the latest railroad news, please visit rtands.com.