By rdnewsNOW staff

Livelihood of Millions In Jeopardy

Red Deer District Chamber joins calls for immediate action to prevent national rail stoppages

Aug 16, 2024 | 10:09 AM

The Red Deer District Chamber has joined Chambers and Boards of Trade across Canada expressing its deep concern for the impending CPKC and CN Rail work stoppages that would affect Canada’s Class 1 railways.

The Chambers are imploring the federal government to take action immediately to avert any kind of work stoppage.

Red Deer Chamber CEO Scott Robinson indicated, “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”.

Chamber officials say history has shown that a rail stoppage could result in the loss of perishable goods and food waste, create shortages of critical consumer staple products, jeopardize access to crucial construction and wooden building materials, impact the automotive supply chain, interrupt access to a reliable supply of liquid transportation fuels, and pose a risk to public health due to disrupted supply of water treatment chemicals like chlorine.

The Chamber says Canada’s international reputation and relationship with its trading partners is at stake.

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Chamber officials say Canada’s railways transport $380 billion worth of goods annually – or over $1 billion each day. That accounts for half the country’s exports suggested Robinson.

“Locally there are many businesses that rely on consistent rail service to deliver goods and products, as well as receiving needed supplies”.

Officials say the Red Deer District Chamber along with Chambers and Boards of Trade across Canada are respectfully asking that the Government of Canada safeguard the well-being of Canadians and the country’s reputation as a reliable trading partner by doing everything it can to ensure that a disruption to the national railway system does not occur.

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