Political parties, farm groups, shippers united in demands to end the strike.Ottawa—Transport Minister Marc Garneau says a solution to end the CN rail strike is at hand and the government will keep pushing the two sides to come to a new labour agreement.“We believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we're going to push them as hard as we can because this is very important from the economy perspective,” he told reporters after the cabinet swearing-in ceremony Nov. 20.“We also believe in the collective bargaining process so we're going to make sure they know how important this is and that they have to continue working towards a solution which as I say we think is within their grasp,” he said.The government has been hit with an avalanche of demands from political parties, premiers, farm organizations and other shippers to end the CN strike because it will damage the economy. Without an agreement, the government would have to pass back-to-work legislation to impose some form of arbitration or mediation.The government doesn't plan to convene Parliament until Dec. 5.Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, said, “The CN strike is hurting all aspects of our economy, from agriculture, to manufacturing, to mining.” Parliament must be recalled “as soon as possible to enact emergency legislation to get the rail cars moving again.“In the West, the CN strike poses a devastating threat to an economy in crisis. Already reeling from delayed pipeline projects, a rail strike means even less Western Canadian oil that can reach markets. And after an especially challenging harvest season, Western Canadian farmers would be further squeezed if the strike is allowed to continue. Bloc Quebecois MPs also called for legislation to end the strike.The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and CN have been negotiating a new contract since the summer. Wages aren't the big issue, the union said. It wants safer practices for workers who operate remotely controlled locomotives and is opposed to company demands to more difficult to take time off and make employees work longer hours.TCRC President Lyndon Isaak said the railway is attempting to get more work done with fewer people and reduce staffing levels. “Fatigue has been recognized by the Transportation Safety Board as a major safety problem in this industry. Too many railroaders are operating trains when they should be resting. For the safety of all Canadians, we cannot allow CN to make it even harder for our members to get the rest they need.”CN offered to submit the dispute to binding arbitration, he said. “CN is telling our members that they are facing tough times, but the reality is that they made over $3.8 billion in the third quarter of 2019. They should be ashamed to be pleading poverty. This obsession with profits and shareholder return, at the expense of just about everything else, is exactly what is wrong with our economy.” In September, workers voted 99.2 per cent favour of strike action.“This strike comes at a terrible time for agriculture,” said Jeff Nielsen, Grain Growers of Canada Chair. “Grain farmers from coast to coast are experiencing one of the most challenging harvests in recent memory and international trade disputes have closed some of our most reliable markets. Any delay in shipping will damage our access to hard-won markets that we must cultivate to survive.”With upwards of 90 per cent of grains being moved by rail, the inability to get grain to market has a significant impact on hard working farm families. If grain doesn't move, farmers don't get paid.In addition, farmers have been forced to watch profits drop due to crops still in the field degrading in value, he said. Any added loss in profit will not be manageable for many farmers who don't have reliable, government supported business risk management programs to fall back on.“Canadian farmers are ready to ship grain but are once again at the mercy of the railways,” said Markus Haerle, GGC Vice-Chair. “We know from the rail backlogs in recent years that any slowdown in service has serious consequences throughout the whole value chain. We are not in a position to weather yet another storm.”Bob Ballantyne, President of the Freight Management Association of Canada (FMA), which represents many of the country's major shippers, said, “Major service disruptions like this strike cause significant losses and layoffs throughout many industries. Beyond the immediate impact to CN and its customers, the resulting impacts on exporters and importers, on manufacturers, on ports, on connecting railways in Canada and the U.S., and on empty container and rail car supply cannot be overstated. The ripple effects will be felt across the North American economy.“It should also be noted that, CP and the trucking industry will not be able to handle the additional workload,” he said.FMA's members have communicated their concerns to the Canadian government. “If the parties can't negotiate a settlement, the federal government will need take early action to limit the damage of this strike.”Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.