Farmers may be facing more rail delays if CP Rail goes on strike.

Over 3000 CP Rail employees will strike on Saturday if a deal is not reached between the rail company and the two unions.

Train conductors, engineers, and signal maintainers have been operating without a contract since the old one expired last year.

Chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission, Kevin Bender, says they are urging the Federal Government to step in.

"We want them to make public that they're going to take action to ensure that this doesn't happen, essentially say that they have to stay at work because we have to get our products to market."

Bender says, if CP Rail employees strike, farmers served by CP Rail will not be able to get their grain to market, which means they will not get paid.

"A lot of the elevators are only serviced by one of the rail lines (CP Rail or CN Rail). So if that happens to be on one where they go on strike, then nothing will be happening there, and so it's really too bad because it's a really monopolistic environment, so if one doesn't fulfill their obligations, then people are stuck."

He says, some farmers still have contracts from several months ago they haven't been able to deliver to the elevators due to poor rail service.

The Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley says, failure to move grain to markets on time will seriously impact Canada's reputation as a reliable supplier to global customers.

The Commissions are further pressing for action through a letter to Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Patricia Hajdu.


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