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The Canadian government has asked a labor board to review whether a potential strike by thousands of rail workers at Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) would cause harm to the safety or health of the public. The Teamsters Rail Conference announced earlier this month that close to 10,000 workers at CN and CPKC voted to authorize strikes at both Class Is. Unless the parties can reach an agreement, a work stoppage could occur as early as May 22. Minister of Labor Seamus O’Regan has asked the Canadian Industrial Relations Board to review the situation, which may push back the potential work stoppage. The minister’s action was prompted by industrial groups concerned about a potential stoppage of rail service. As part of its review, the board has asked affected groups and organizations to submit comments on the potential impact should a strike occur, according to a board press release. For example, the board is seeking details regarding the movement of propane on the CPKC network and alternatives that CPKC clients have for propane delivery in the event of a strike.
In addition, the board will review details about the movement of heavy fuel, propane, food and water treatment materials needed in remote communities and throughout Canada on CN’s network, and what alternatives, if any, CN’s clients have for delivery of such products. The board also has asked for more information about the level of services or operations that must continue in the event that it finds that the transportation of those products is necessary to prevent an “immediate and serious danger” to the safety or health of the public. CN announced that the tentative agreement between CNTL, a CN subsidiary dedicated to first-and-last-mile trucking container pickup and deliveries, and owner-operators affiliated with Unifor has been ratified. The four-year agreement covers approximately 750 owner-operators under contract with CNTL in Canada until Dec. 31, 2027.
The Canadian union representing port workers in Vancouver has postponed delivering a 72-hour strike notice in order to participate in federal mediation with employers. The workers’ contract expired in March 2023 and talks on a new one failed last year and again in January. A 21-day cooling-off period concluded on May 10th giving the union the right to strike and the employers association the right to lock out the workers. However, neither side can take action until a strike or lockout vote has been taken and a 72-hour strike notice has been provided. The BCMEA filed a formal complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) last week, which had to step in last year in another dispute. In its statement, BCMEA said that their latest offer, which includes a compounded wage increase of 19.2% over four years, was generous and accused ILWU Local 514 of protracting negotiations and “putting Canada’s supply chain and global trade reputation at further risk”. ILWU Local 514 said yesterday it had been doing “everything it can to avoid potential job action”, including not serving strike notice on employer DP World Canada, but that the BCMEA has deliberately been misleading and bargaining in the media.
A work stoppage will impact all Canadians – It will halt freight traffic on CPKC’s Canadian rail network. It would disrupt essential supply chains throughout North America and significantly constrain trade between Canada and the U.S. and Mexico. Please reach out to our Canadian team Erin Walker or Rachel Racicot for assistance with a transportation solution or pricing. We have a wide range of availability from all major Canadian ports for intact and transloads Canada@portxlogistics.com
Import TEUs are down this week 2.86% this week from last, the heaviest volume this week arriving to Newark NJ 17.9% of incoming TEU volume, Los Angeles 16.6.% of incoming TEU volume and Long Beach 16.4% of incoming TEU volume. If you have plans to cross the Canadian border on the upcoming Canada Victoria Day holiday on May 20th or U.S. Memorial Day on May 27th, here are some cross border tips for the holiday weekend.
CLICK HERE for cross border tips
What’s happening at the ports and rails?:
You can find all the information on the below link where we cover port congestion, chassis issues and capacity lead times weekly at all U.S. and Canada Ports and rail heads on our website – click on the link below
CLICK HERE for Port & Rail Updates
NY/NJ: With the increasing volumes, PNCT and APM terminals have been hitting some congestion causing excessive wait times for drivers. APM terminal is backlogged 2-3 days for terminal appointments. With the upcoming holiday at the end of the month, delays could continue increasing with potential congestion charges being implemented and capacity may decrease as a result of excessive driver wait time. Be sure to get your orders to our team prior to vessel arrival to guarantee capacity. We monitor port congestion daily and report back whenever there is an issue – follow our LinkedIn page for the most up to date Port and Rail reporting’s
Chicago: NY/NJ Congestion is causing rail delays with containers taking a few more days than normal to hit the CSX. If these delays are compromising your transit times, consider stopping your containers at the port and having Port X Logistics arrange drayage, transloading and expedited truckload deliveries. We also have plenty of Chicago drayage capacity – our Chicago asset drayage team has full capacity to get your Chicago containers moving. We have almost 100 trucks, over 200 chassis, secured yard space, and we are able to secure permits to haul heavy containers. Contact Danny and the team letsgetrolling@portxlogistics.com for all your Chicago needs.
Denver: We have been getting many questions in regards to the understanding of surcharges as it pertains to the BNSF Hudson CO (Logistics Center). The newest terminal that services the Denver rail adds an additional 60+ round trip miles and also longer wait times at the newest Hudson terminal.
If you have questions regarding the BNSF Hudson or you are looking for drayage and transloading services in Denver, our Denver operation is in the heart of the transportation district @ I-25 and I-70 in Denver, Colorado. Located within four miles of both major rail ramps this ensures prompt and affordable service. With 12 trucks, 15 dry vans, 25,000 sq. ft. of transload space, and two acres of secure and monitored yard storage, we can help with a variety of your transportation and storage needs. Contact the Denver team today for great rates and capacity Denver@portxlogistics.com
Did you know? These fun facts about the Port of Savannah ?
· The Savannah Port is the Largest Single Container Terminal in North America: and the 4th busiest port in the entire country
· It is Not Actually on the Coast: Located on the Savannah River, the Port of Savannah is almost 20 miles upstream from the Atlantic Ocean
· They Move a lot of Chicken: They have the highest refrigerated container capacity of all the east coast ports and handle around 40 percent of the entire packaged poultry exports from the United States
· The Port Creates over a Quarter Million Jobs: The port creates 350,000 jobs and does over $66 billion in sales every year, which also contributes significantly to Georgia’s economy
· Furniture is the their Biggest Import: The port’s largest import every year is home furnishings, followed by other retail goods like electronics and appliances
Did you also know? The Port X Logistics Savannah terminal specializes in expediting containerized freight out of the Savannah and Charleston Ports. Our main terminal is strategically located a few miles from the port of Savannah and boasts a 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse with five acres of yard space. Services offered include dray/transload/trucking, as well as regional and long-haul intact drayage including hazmat and overweight. Send us your orders 72 hours prior to vessel arrival and we will even promise a “No Demurrage Guarantee” for all containers that are released and available before free time expires. Contact Kyle and the Savannah team to experience the best! SAV@Portxlogistics.com
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