Canola industry welcomes government action on rail work stoppage

Aug 23, 2024

The Canola Council of Canada (CCC), Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) and Canadian Oilseed Processors Association (COPA) welcome action by the federal government to invoke section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to order CN, CPKC and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference to final binding arbitration, a resumption of rail service and an extension of the current agreements until new agreements are finalized.

The CCC, CCGA and COPA have been calling for government intervention ahead of a possible work stoppage along with other industry partners across the grains sector. The #StopTheStrike campaign has been an important avenue to highlight the economic harm of a rail work stoppage on the sector and canola value chain specifically.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) must move swiftly to implement the ministerial order. It is imperative that a resumption of activities on Canada’s Class I railways happens as soon as possible. With farmers harvesting their crops, time is of the essence to get the railways running.

While this action by the government is a positive development, this situation was avoidable. Moving forward, the government and political parties of all stripes must find a long-term solution to ensure this type of event does not happen again.

Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.