Canadian freight railroads shut down, dealing a potential blow to North America's economy

Canada’s two major freight railroads have shut their operations, locking out 9,000 members of the Teamsters union who operate the trains. The shutdown could disrupt operations in a number of US industries, including agriculture, autos, home building, and energy. This is the first time both major Canadian railroads have shut down at the same time due to a labor dispute. The shutdown is different from a strike as management is the one telling the workers they can’t work. The companies have called on the government to step in and refer the dispute to binding arbitration. Economists estimate that even a few days of shutdown could cause significant economic damage.