In an unprecedented shutdown of the country’s largest rail networks, Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) both locked out union rail employees at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Thursday.
Canada’s 2 major Class 1 railways represent $9.5B in annual freight revenues, and 70% of goods transported in Canada (by value).
Trains across the country have ground to a halt as 9,300 unionized Teamsters Canada Rail Conferene (TCRC) workers were locked out just past midnight.
The shutdown is the first-ever simultaneous work stoppage at CN and CPKC. The strike is expected to cause an enormous freight backlog if not resolved soon, including:
- Intermodal (2,012,003)
- Fuel and Chemicals (558,806)
- Agriculture (413,939)
- Coal (352,549)
- Misc & Manufactured goods (203,449)
Many small to mid-sized businesses do not have the capabilities or resources to plan or implement for these contingencies.
Bullwhip Logistics can help!
