SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Fertilizer firm Nutrien is asking the Canadian government to block a potential Canadian Pacific strike, saying an interruption to rail service could lead to smaller crop harvests, Bloomberg reports.
Teamster Canada Rail Coalition members voted in favor of a strike against CP, the union announced earlier this week [see “Teamsters Canava vote …,” Trains News Wire, March 3, 2022]. Nutrien, the world’s biggest crop fertilizer producer, says that could affect the company’s ability to move potash, nitrogen, and other crop chemicals ahead of spring planting in Canada, leading to smaller crop yields.
“The global food supply is already stretched and cannot afford further negative impacts at this time,” the company said in a statement quoted by Bloomberg. “We would be very disappointed to see a labor dispute have such a significant impact on global agricultural supply chains, and consequently, we would hope that the Canadian government will consider intervening to avert another transportation crisis.”
Food for the next 12 months is a real consideration. Fertilizer to grow that food should not be impaired!
Wonder how the whole Ukraine war will play into this? A big chunk of fertilizer is coming off market either by the conflict itself and or self imposed bans on Russia produced fertilizer.
If the Canada Emergencies Act was still in force, Mr Trudeau could ban strikes.