The chief operating officer of Canadian National Railway has written an open letter to the company’s 750 striking workers stating it remains open to resolving outstanding issues either through agreement or binding operations.
The June 20 letter from COO and executive vice-president Rob Reilly comes after employees of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) gave strike notice last week and walked off the job over the weekend.
In a statement, the company said normal and safe operations continue after CN enacted its contingency plan.
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In his letter to the striking workers, Reilly outlined the company’s last offer, which included a 10 percent wage increase over three years, more medical benefits, an increase in per diems as well as doubling of mileage reimbursements.
“We have met or exceeded every one of the union’s demands in an effort to reach an agreement prior to the strike deadline,” read the letter. “Unfortunately, we did not reach an agreement and the union has exercised its legal right to strike.”
IBEW issued a 72-hour strike notice on June 15 following a collapse of negotiations begun in October.
More to come….
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