24 January 2011

CN Rail Avoids Strike
Reaches Agreement with CAW

Montreal Quebec - CN Rail avoided a strike deadline by reaching an agreement with the Canadian Auto Workers on Monday.
 
The deal was hammered out during an intense 48-hour negotiation session, according to an official announcement.
 
The CAW had said nearly 4,000 workers would walk off the job Tuesday morning if a deal wasn't reached. Their last contract had expired on 31 Dec 2010.
 
Details of the agreement were not released on Monday, but will be made public once the deal is ratified over the next three weeks.
 
"This is a hard won collective agreement and I commend the master bargaining committee for their perseverance and dedication to resolving the issues important to our members right across the country," CAW president Ken Lewenza said in a prepared statement.
 
CN Rail representative Mark Hallman said the company welcomed the deal and its timeliness.
 
"We're also particularly pleased with the provisions that would allow us to work in terms of being able to help us retain and attract skilled employees who are going to be critical to our workforce in the years ahead," he said.
 
Union representatives will now present the deal to workers for ratification, which should finish next month.
 
With the CN Rail deal nearly finished, the CAW can now turn its bargaining efforts to Canadian Pacific, where a strike by more than 2,000 mechanical workers could occur in the coming months.
 
In a statement released earlier this month, Canadian Pacific said "negotiations are ongoing. The company remains optimistic for a negotiated settlement."
 
However, Canadian Pacific stated that its 1,200 managers had a "contingency" plan in the event of a strike.