Boshcoff urges tories to resolve rail strike

News Release
Ken Boshcoff & Record Staff

Ottawa – Ken Boshcoff M.P. Thunder Bay-Rainy River met with Federal Ministers last week to stress the impending crisis that will result if the Canadian National Rail strike is not settled immediately.
“I have been contacted by the Mayor of Atikokan and the President of Fibratech Manufacturing, who have notified me that the lack of rail service threatens to close the local plant,” says Boshcoff.
Fibratech uses CN Rail to ship sold products and the recent labour dispute has resulted in sold inventories piling up in the warehouse and cash flows have all but ceased with the product delivery stoppage.
Boshcoff continued, “I am calling on the Government to intervene in the C.N. Rail dispute to ensure that disastrous economic consequences are avoided for communities like Atikokan.”
Boshcoff told the Record Thursday he has no real position on the strike itself and would be more than willing to help facilitate talks by both parties. “We need to get the two sides talking. Otherwise there could be grave economic consequences for small communities that depend on CN for moving their goods.”
Members of the UTU went on strike two Saturdays ago. There was no word at press time if the strike would be allowed to continue beyond yesterday.
A hearing at the federal level was held last Tuesday and remanded until yesterday.
Since the International President of UTU had not sanctioned the strike, CNR was arguing that the strike by Canadian members was illegal.