The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) is calling on the federal government to prepare for a strike by CP Rail.

Over three thousand CP Rail employees are set to strike this coming Saturday as the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers each gave CP a 72-hour notice of their plan to strike.

“Wheat growers have suffered through the abysmal rail transportation problems this past growing season and now may have to face a strike by CP Rail. This is making a bad problem even worse,” said WCWGA President Levi Wood.

WCWGA says it recognizes the rights of workers to negotiate their contracts, but wheat growers have had poor support from the rail industry this year and need to have assurances that they can move their product to market. The group says that global buyers will find alternate suppliers if they can't deliver their product.

WCWGA is requesting that back to work legislation be put in place, to ensure that trains will continue to move.

“As a grain grower in Western Canada, our markets are questioning whether or not we can meet the buyer demands. Our federal government needs to step up and assure our buyers that we can meet the global needs,” stated Director Daryl Fransoo.