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CP Rail strike could be ‘detrimental’ to Canada’s economy, experts warn – Global News

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With CP Rail trains ground to a halt nationwide and thousands of workers starting to march picket lines, the anticipated strike at Canada’s second-largest railroad operator has come at one of the worst times for the country’s economy, experts say.

“The hit to the Canadian economy that this can cause is so detrimental,” Richard Powers, associate professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, told Global News. “I don’t know what else we can face without seeing a real collapse.”

The strike, involving nearly 3,000 engineers, conductors and other train employees, took effect early Sunday morning after a lockout initiated by the Calgary-based railway.

Read more:

CP Rail strike begins after workers locked out by employer, threatening supply chains

Following the lockout, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference said workers were also on strike, with picketing underway at various Canadian Pacific locations. This is the fifth work stoppage since 1993, according to CP Rail.






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NDP against back-to-work legislation amid CP Rail labour dispute: Singh


NDP against back-to-work legislation amid CP Rail labour dispute: Singh

There are 26 outstanding issues, including wages, benefits and pensions, currently causing turmoil between the two sides. While both parties are still at the table with federal mediators, significant negotiation is still foreseen. Powers doesn’t see the conflict ending before Friday.

“It appears that there are still a lot of issues yet to discuss and to agree upon. A strike coming at this time, it just adds to the confusion and chaos,” Powers said, noting the clash has come off the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which have already drastically impacted the economy not only in Canada but across the world.

For Canadians, everything from agricultural and farm products to fuel and vehicles will be impacted, according to Powers.

“Movement of parts is so important and now you’ve just cut that off,” he said.






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Reactions pour in from the Prairies as possible CP Rail lockout draws closer


Reactions pour in from the Prairies as possible CP Rail lockout draws closer

According to Dennis Darby, president of the trade association Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, a survey conducted between Feb. 8 and Feb. 28 found nine out of ten of Canadian manufacturers are facing supply chain issues.

He said Canadian manufacturers have already lost out on an estimated $10.5 billion in sales because of transportation network disruptions and they simply cannot afford another interruption.

“Adding to our concern is the fact that a labour disruption at CP Rail will deal another blow to Canada’s reputation as a good place to do business and as a reliable supply chain partner,” Darby said.

The grain industry, specifically, is anticipated to feel the impact of the strike.

“We have those waiting for the crop off the west coast, feed-lot operators waiting for product, processing facilities across the prairies and in eastern Canada in need of canola and cereal grains in order to provide bread for the store shelves. And, we’re seeing inflation increases,” Western Grain Elevator Association spokesperson Wade Sobkowich said last week.

“Everything is coming at us all at once. There are some things we can control and some things we can’t. We should be able to control a work stoppage and yet here we are facing one. This is the last thing we need right now in the grain sector and as an economy here in Canada.”

Sobkowich said roughly half of annual grain crops are exported on CP rail lines. He said average crop size ranges between 30 and 40 million metric tons.

The beef industry could also be affected as CP Rail imports corn for feeding cattle in the nation, Opher Baron, professor and academic director at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business, told Global News.

“They are basically feeding the beef industry in Canada,” he said, noting much of the country’s ground transportation is done on the rails.

Canadians could pay more when buying food, clothes, and more depending how long the strike lasts, according to Baron.

Read more:

Grain shippers sound alarm amid concern over potential CP rail strike

“This strike is not a small pool. It’s potentially a big one. It can have quite a large effect,” he said.

Even in the United States, the CP rail conflict has interrupted fertilizer and other shipments to and from the country.

Canadian Pacific covers much of the U.S. Midwest and is a large shipper of potash and fertilizer for agriculture. It also carries grain from the U.S. to its northern neighbour for domestic use and exports. The railroad serves the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and other states, according to a map on its investor website.

Canadian Pacific also operates in New England and upstate New York, spokesman for CP Patrick Waldron said.

CP got 29 per cent of its 2020 freight revenue from cross-border shipments between the U.S. and Canada, its investor website states.


Locked-out workers picket the Canadian Pacific Railway headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Sunday, March 20, 2022.


THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

According to Powers, the federal government needs to be “looking at back to work legislation” to kick start the Canadian economy. However, he added that this type of measure is rarely used in Canada as it is an affront to the collective bargaining process.

“We have to respect the process. Let’s give them a chance. But at the same time, they have to recognize that at some point things have to change,” he said.

— With files from Global News’ Sean Boynton, Connor O’Donovan and The Canadian Press

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Telus prioritizing ‘most important customers,’ avoiding ‘unprofitable’ offers: CFO

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Telus Corp. says it is avoiding offering “unprofitable” discounts as fierce competition in the Canadian telecommunications sector shows no sign of slowing down.

The company said Friday it had fewer net new customers during its third quarter compared with the same time last year, as it copes with increasingly “aggressive marketing and promotional pricing” that is prompting more customers to switch providers.

Telus said it added 347,000 net new customers, down around 14.5 per cent compared with last year. The figure includes 130,000 mobile phone subscribers and 34,000 internet customers, down 30,000 and 3,000, respectively, year-over-year.

The company reported its mobile phone churn rate — a metric measuring subscribers who cancelled their services — was 1.09 per cent in the third quarter, up from 1.03 per cent in the third quarter of 2023. That included a postpaid mobile phone churn rate of 0.90 per cent in its latest quarter.

Telus said its focus is on customer retention through its “industry-leading service and network quality, along with successful promotions and bundled offerings.”

“The customers we have are the most important customers we can get,” said chief financial officer Doug French in an interview.

“We’ve, again, just continued to focus on what matters most to our customers, from a product and customer service perspective, while not loading unprofitable customers.”

Meanwhile, Telus reported its net income attributable to common shares more than doubled during its third quarter.

The telecommunications company said it earned $280 million, up 105.9 per cent from the same three-month period in 2023. Earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was 19 cents compared with nine cents a year earlier.

It reported adjusted net income was $413 million, up 10.7 per cent year-over-year from $373 million in the same quarter last year. Operating revenue and other income for the quarter was $5.1 billion, up 1.8 per cent from the previous year.

Mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.85 in the third quarter, a decrease of $2.09 or 3.4 per cent from a year ago. Telus said the drop was attributable to customers signing up for base rate plans with lower prices, along with a decline in overage and roaming revenues.

It said customers are increasingly adopting unlimited data and Canada-U.S. plans which provide higher and more stable ARPU on a monthly basis.

“In a tough operating environment and relative to peers, we view Q3 results that were in line to slightly better than forecast as the best of the bunch,” said RBC analyst Drew McReynolds in a note.

Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi added that “the telecom industry in Canada remains very challenging for all players, however, Telus has been able to face these pressures” and still deliver growth.

The Big 3 telecom providers — which also include Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. — have frequently stressed that the market has grown more competitive in recent years, especially after the closing of Quebecor Inc.’s purchase of Freedom Mobile in April 2023.

Hailed as a fourth national carrier, Quebecor has invested in enhancements to Freedom’s network while offering more affordable plans as part of a set of commitments it was mandated by Ottawa to agree to.

The cost of telephone services in September was down eight per cent compared with a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent inflation report last month.

“I think competition has been and continues to be, I’d say, quite intense in Canada, and we’ve obviously had to just manage our business the way we see fit,” said French.

Asked how long that environment could last, he said that’s out of Telus’ hands.

“What I can control, though, is how we go to market and how we lead with our products,” he said.

“I think the conditions within the market will have to adjust accordingly over time. We’ve continued to focus on digitization, continued to bring our cost structure down to compete, irrespective of the price and the current market conditions.”

Still, Canada’s telecom regulator continues to warn providers about customers facing more charges on their cellphone and internet bills.

On Tuesday, CRTC vice-president of consumer, analytics and strategy Scott Hutton called on providers to ensure they clearly inform their customers of charges such as early cancellation fees.

That followed statements from the regulator in recent weeks cautioning against rising international roaming fees and “surprise” price increases being found on their bills.

Hutton said the CRTC plans to launch public consultations in the coming weeks that will focus “on ensuring that information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers.”

“The CRTC is concerned with recent trends, which suggest that Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of our codes,” he said.

“We will continue to monitor developments and will take further action if our codes are not being followed.”

French said any initiative to boost transparency is a step in the right direction.

“I can’t say we are perfect across the board, but what I can say is we are absolutely taking it under consideration and trying to be the best at communicating with our customers,” he said.

“I think everyone looking in the mirror would say there’s room for improvement.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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TC Energy cuts cost estimate for Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico

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CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.

It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.

The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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BCE reports Q3 loss on asset impairment charge, cuts revenue guidance

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BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.

The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.

“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”

Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.

BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.

The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.

BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.

It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.

The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”

Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)

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