UPDATED – December 9, 2024 – 1350 CST – Comment from labour minister Steven MacKinnon added.
Glacier FarmMedia – Canadian National Railway (CN) says it has reached a tentative four-year agreement with the union representing mechanical, clerical and intermodal workers.
Employees represented by Unifor voted in late November to authorize a strike if a deal wasn’t reached by January 1. Workers called for improved compensation, job security and working conditions.
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In a statement today, CN said it won’t release details of the agreement until the agreement is ratified. The current collective agreement expires on Dec. 31. The agreement affects some 3,300 employees, CN said.
“This agreement marks a significant step forward in securing improved conditions and protections for Unifor members at CN,” Unifor said in a statement to members.
Ratification votes will happen “in the coming weeks,” it added.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon praised the parties for reaching an agreement.
“Thank you to the parties for putting in the work to get a deal and to federal mediators for their support. Negotiated agreements are always the best way forward,” MacKinnon said in a post on X.
Earlier this year, CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City railways briefly ground to a halt after talks with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union broke down. The situation ended with the federal government mandating binding arbitration, which is scheduled to take place in 2025.
