Barring any last-minute deals, conductors, engineers and signal maintainers at Canadian Pacific Railway plan to be on strike as of 9 p.m. CT Tuesday. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents about 3,000 CP engineers, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which represents about 360 CP signal maintenance staff, both announced Saturday […] Read more

CP employees to walk the line Tuesday night

U.S. biodiesel lobby drops effort to adjust tax credit
Chicago | Reuters — The biggest U.S. biodiesel lobbying group has dropped its nine-year push to convert a US$1-per-gallon tax credit available to blenders of the biofuel into one for producers, the vice-president of federal affairs said on Friday. The tax credit benefits companies that blend biodiesel into fuel sold at U.S. gas stations. It […] Read more

CP employees reject company’s ‘final’ offers
Conductors, engineers and signal maintainers at Canadian Pacific Railway are again within striking distance of striking. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents about 3,000 CP engineers, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which represents about 360 CP signal maintenance staff, confirmed Friday their members have voted to reject what CP described […] Read more

Deere recalls loader attachments over manual omission
Over 1,300 Deere front-end loader attachments sold in Canada are being recalled over what’s missing from their operator manuals. Deere and Co. and Health Canada on Thursday announced a recall for certain 120R John Deere loaders sold from May through September last year. “The ballasting information for the loader when attached to a John Deere […] Read more

Federal rail freight legislation clears Senate
Canada’s Senate has passed federal legislation that grain grower groups have hoped will help improve rail freight service for the sector this year. Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act, passed third reading in the Senate on Tuesday following a 41-31 vote to approve a message that the Senate “does not insist on its amendments” to […] Read more

Deere plans price increases to offset rising costs
Chicago | Reuters — Shares of Deere and Co. soared Friday after the U.S. tractor maker revised up its full-year earnings estimate on stronger equipment demand and shared its plans to increase prices to offset increased costs. The company’s stock was up 6.4 per cent at $156.24 in early afternoon trading on the New York […] Read more

Grain groups rip lawmakers over derailed transport bill
Several farm groups say partisan haggling has again derailed federal legislation they hoped would help improve rail freight service for the grain sector this year. Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act, passed third reading in the Senate and was returned to the House of Commons with proposed amendments on March 29 — and went back […] Read more

Negotiators fail to reach NAFTA deal
Washington | Reuters — Senior U.S., Canadian and Mexican officials on Friday ended a week of talks without a deal to modernize NAFTA, agreeing instead to resume negotiations soon, ahead of a deadline next week issued by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan. The failure to secure a quick deal underscores uncertainty over the […] Read more

Ford scrambles to restart truck production after fire at supplier
Detroit | Reuters — Ford Motor Co. is working with a key supplier to shift some parts production from Michigan to Ontario, after a fire and subsequent parts shortages forced the automaker to halt manufacturing of its highly profitable full-size pickups, according to sources familiar with the companies’ plans. The supplier, Chinese-owned Meridian Magnesium Products, […] Read more

NAFTA talks drag on as U.S., Mexico spar over autos
Washington | Reuters — Top-level talks to update the North American Free Trade Agreement made little headway on Wednesday as the U.S. and Mexico sought to settle differences over the key issue of automobiles, three well-placed sources said. With time fast running out to reach a deal, the two NAFTA members are discussing a U.S. […] Read more