CN workers ratify new collective agreement, avoiding strike – National

Unifor said Sunday that its members at Canadian National, CNR.TO, had ratified a new four-year collective agreement, avoiding a possible strike.

Unifor, which represents more than 3,000 members on the Railway Council 4000 and Local 100 committees, said the agreement includes improvements to wages and benefits as well as job protections for members working in CN terminals and head offices across Canada.

The railroad earlier this month reached a new four-year interim collective bargaining agreement with the union.

“This agreement secures significant gains that reflect the essential contributions of Unifor members to CN’s operations,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a statement.

CN did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The ratification comes after Unifor members last month authorized a strike if the parties did not reach an agreement by January 1.

The union began negotiations with CN Rail in September, with bargaining priorities including higher wages, addressing concerns about its members’ pension plan and job security.

Canada, the second largest country in the world by land area, relies heavily on trains to transport a wide range of products and goods.

(Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bangalore; editing by Mark Porter)