Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada component - the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) - are asking supporters to sign a new petition to bring the Port of Churchill and the railway back into public hands.
It is clear that Omnitrax is not willing to live up to its responsibilities, having recounced its obligation under the 2008 contract that it signed with the federal and provincial governments to keep the rail line operational and conduct needed repairs. Now businesses are suffering, food prices are soaring, and there is no end in sight.
PSAC has consistently called on the federal government to bring the Port of Churchill and the rail line back as a national asset so that it can return to full operation in the short term, and remain so for generations to come. A Winnipeg Free Press-Probe Research poll conducted in September of 2016 found that 67 per cent of Manitobans support the federal government taking over both the port and railway. The recalcitrant position that Omnitrax has taken over the past year only highlights further the need for this kind of action.
The people of Churchill deserve a path forward that protects their future and treats them with respect. It is time to put an end to this desperate situation and provide real solutions, now.
You can sign the electronic petition here.
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