# First CN Rail strike in decade piles more woes on battered Western farmers - Financial Post

> About 3,200 CN conductors, train and yard staff stopped work after talks failed over issues including pharmaceutical benefits and time-off provisions. The strike hits Western Canadian farmers during peak shipping of wheat and canola, which move by rail to Vancouver and Prince Rupert for export. With little port storage, farmers depend on CN and CP to move grain continuously.

- Date: 2019-11-18 · published 2019-11-18T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region Canada · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/56083-first-cn-rail-strike-in-decade-piles-more-woes-on-battered-western-farmers
- Commodities: [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md), [Canola Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CANMEAL.md), [Ocean Grain Freight](https://feedsoft.ai/c/OCEANFRT.md)

## Why it matters

Canada's two largest commodity exports rely on uninterrupted rail movement, so the strike threatens export volumes to China, Japan and Indonesia. Delayed loadings support export basis and freight costs.

## Read by commodity

- WHEAT: bullish ▲
- CANMEAL: bullish ▲
- OCEANFRT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WHEAT | 2018-04-18 | [CP Rail vows not to be held ‘hostage’ by unions, but grain farmers fear strike would be ‘devastating’ - Financial Post](https://feedsoft.ai/events/65531-cp-rail-vows-not-to-be-held-hostage-by-unions-but-grain-farmers-fear-strike.md) | +0.1% | -0.9% |
| WHEAT | 2018-04-19 | [CP Rail strike could be devastating for Western Canadian farmers](https://feedsoft.ai/events/65532-cp-rail-strike-could-be-devastating-for-western-canadian-farmers.md) | +0.3% | -1.2% |
| WHEAT | 2020-02-12 | ['Perfect storm': Anti-pipeline blockades deepen challenges for farmers after winter of rail headaches - Financial Post](https://feedsoft.ai/events/54611-perfect-storm-anti-pipeline-blockades-deepen-challenges-for-farmers-after.md) | +5.5% | +10.1% |
| WHEAT | 2020-10-02 | [CN Rail Workers Strike \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/50667-cn-rail-workers-strike-feed-and-grain.md) | +1.9% | +3.6% |
| WHEAT | 2024-07-09 | [Rail workers, grain growers await CIRB decision on potential strike – Brandon Sun](https://feedsoft.ai/events/29278-rail-workers-grain-growers-await-cirb-decision-on-potential-strike-brandon-sun.md) | -4.0% | -2.8% |

## Sources

- financialpost.com: https://financialpost.com/transportation/looming-cn-strike-adds-to-woes-for-already-battered-western-farmers/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.