The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is calling for urgent action to avoid a work stoppage at Canada’s two railways.

The CFIB Vice-President, National Affairs Jasmin Guenette says shutdowns at CN and CPKC at the same time is unheralded in Canadian history and will paralyze the economy.  He says the cost will be a billion dollars a day and will be devastating for small business, their employees and communities.  In addition to firms losing sales and contracts because the goods aren’t delivered or received on time, Guenette says it also impacts essential materials like chlorine for water treatment.

Guenette says although the decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) prohibited the maintenance of certain activities during a work stoppage, politicians still have the power to change labour laws. CFIB continues to call on the government to make ports and rails an essential service, so they remain fully operational at all times. And while that may not be possible in the interim, he says the government needs to impose binding arbitration.

Sunday evening the Teamsters union at Canadian Pacific Kansas City said Sunday evening that it served a 72-hour strike notice to the railway.  And shortly after, C-N Rail issued a notice that it intends to lock workers out at that same time unless an agreement or binding arbitration is achieved.

Both C-P-K-C and Canadian National Railway have been halting shipments in preparation for potential work stoppages by their combined 93-hundred workers.