But that's the economic pressure the union relies on. The only thing they can do when they go on strike is to force some kind of economic pressure on the employer, in this case, CN. Where would they feel it from? They'd feel the pinch coming from those farmers who are saying “What are you doing? We have to move our grain.” The point is to push them towards a settlement.
On the issue of balance, if a union chooses to go on strike, right now the employer can use replacement workers. Right now, the way the code is written, if that same employer locks the employees out, he can also use replacement workers. So where's the level of balance and fairness in that scenario when he's got his cake and he can eat it too? He has it both ways.