‘We don’t like doing this’: Medicine Hat railway workers start picketing as lockout begins

“We don’t like doing this, it’s not something that we enjoy doing,” he told CHAT News from the strike headquarters at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 17.

“The company just keeps forcing us, every contract, to be out walking.”

After months of negotiations, Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. locked out 9,300 engineers, conductors and yard workers after the parties failed to agree on a new contract before the midnight deadline.

That includes over 200 employees in Medicine Hat, who will take rotating shifts picketing from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until the strike is over.

Contract talks resumed on Thursday as disruptions to both commuter and freight rail began across the country.

Peters, a locomotive engineer, said the labour dispute is not all about money for the workers in Medicine Hat.

“We’re worked pretty hard. We’re paid well, but we’re paid well to be away from families, away from friends,” he said.

Strike captain Ron Peters, president of the local Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, said his colleagues were in good spirits but it was a scenario they hoped to avoid. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

“It’s not nine to five. There’s no weekends. Friday is any day of the week, and Monday is the day after.”

Companies across the county, including several in Medicine Hat, have been bracing for the shutdown and its expected impact on commerce.

Methanex said in a statement Tuesday it’s been working on ways to keep it’s Medicine Hat plant running in case of the current stoppage scenario.

The methanol distributor said that 75 per cent of it’s product is shipped out by CPKC – and there is no backup plan in case of disruption.

A loss of rail service — even for a short period — could result in a shutdown of its Medicine Hat facility, though not immediately, a spokesperson told CHAT News.

Karen Proud, president and CEO of Fertilizer Canada, said CF Industries in Medicine Hat ships out a similar per cent of its product by rail and shipping by truck isn’t really an option.

“There are not enough trucks on the road to deal with fertilizer products. There just aren’t,” Proud said Tuesday.

“The costs are really significantly more. For a product that is meant for farmers, we can’t add the extra cost into the system, even if that was an option.”

Several cars honked in support of the picketers on Thursday morning.

Peters, the strike captain, said support from the community is always appreciated.

“Coffee is always welcome, doughnuts — not that we all need them,” he said with a chuckle.

by Eli J. Ridder

‘We don’t like doing this’: Medicine Hat railway workers start picketing as lockout begins

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