OTTAWA, Ont. — Some East Coast senators are calling on the House of Commons to reconvene earlier than the scheduled Dec. 5 return to deal with the impact of the CN rail strike on their provinces.
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as well as the ministers of transport, labour, agriculture, natural resources, and safety, P.E.I Sen. Diane Griffin, Nova Scotia Sen. Stephen Greene and New Brunswick Sen. David Richards — all members of the newly formed Canadian Senators Group — outlined the growing effects of the strike in the region.
“The CN rail strike is resulting in supply chain disruptions that are impacting both the people and industries of the Maritime Provinces (and is) causing secondary impacts on the ability of Maritime seaports to conduct trade,” the letter reads.
The strike, they say, is also affecting delivery of propane. “This has an effect on farmers, who rely on propane to dry their crops and heat their barns and greenhouses, and on hospitals and nursing homes, which rely on propane for heat,” the senators said in the letter.
“Propane reserves in the Maritimes are depleting. Truck shipments from central Canada will be insufficient if demand for propane exceeds domestic Maritime production capacity.”
The senators are urging the government to both increase efforts for a resolution and come up with a backup plan.
“We urge you to summon Parliament ahead of the planned Speech from the Throne on December 5th in order to debate legislation to resolve the labour dispute," the senators said.
"We also ask that the Government of Canada take the necessary steps to mitigate the impact on the Maritime Provinces by working with industry to guarantee a reliable supply of propane.”
Thousands of employees of Canadian National Railway, the largest rail network in the country, have been on strike since Tuesday, Nov. 19.
The workers, represented by Teamsters Canada, have been negotiations with CN for seven months.
Less than a week into the service disruption, the effects are already being felt across many industries, from coast to coast.
Last week, CP reported that 250 workers at CN’s Halifax autoport received temporary layoff notices to start on Nov. 28 as a result of the labour dispute, but the company later rescinded the layoff notices for 180 people.
Despite mounting calls for an early return, House leader Pablo Rodriguez has said publicly that the first day of the new Parliament will remain Dec. 5.
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