'An absolute disaster': Group fearful over impact of CP Rail work stoppage on businesses

One trade association is expressing its concern over the impact that the CP Rail work stoppage will have on businesses.

The work stoppage entered its second day on Monday after about 3,000 conductors, engineers, and train and yard workers were off the job over the weekend.

The company and union blame each other for causing the stoppage, though both also said they were still talking with federal mediators.

In Manitoba, the trade and industry association Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) is worried about what this work stoppage means for the survival of businesses.

“I don’t know if it’s the final nail in the coffin, but it’s certainly another nail in the coffin,” said Ron Koslowsky, vice president of CME Manitoba, in an interview on Sunday.

He said businesses are already feeling the impacts of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, weather-related issues, and the recent trucker protest.

He added that this work stoppage could be devastating, because 50 per cent of the country’s manufactured goods are transported by railway.

“It’s a mess. It’s an absolute disaster,” he said.

Koslowsky noted that for consumers, this disruption could drive current prices even higher.

.“Inflation is high in Canada, this is clearly going to add more to that number,” he said.

“This is not just a problem for manufacturing or a transportation issue, this is an impact on everybody in Canada and everybody in Manitoba.”

- With files from CTV’s Daniel Halmarson and The Canadian Press.