On March 1, a preliminary agreement was announced between the United Steelworkers Union (USW) Local 2004 and CN Rail. The three-year deal is yet to be ratified, with the vote expected to take place in March or early April.
The contract, once ratified by union members, will cover 3,000 workers across Canada. Negotiations for this new contract commenced in October 2023, prior to the late December expiration of the previous contract, as per the news release dated March 1 that announced the deal.
"We are proud of this new deal that we were able to reach after many long weeks. Our members do important work in ensuring the continuing viability of our national railways and I am pleased that we were able to reach an agreement that fairly compensates them for their efforts," stated Cole Kramer, president of USW Local 2004.
The previous four-year agreement, signed on October 19, 2019, can be found on the USW website. It contains agreements for Maintenance of Way employees, those in the Work Equipment Department, Track Employees, and Bridge and Structure employees. The site also provides information on benefits, dental plans, and retirement information.
CN Rail confirmed a new collective agreement with the union in its own news release dated March 1. However, it noted that no details of this tentative agreement will be disclosed until it is ratified by union members.
CN Rail's history dates back to Feb. 25, 1832 when the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad was incorporated. In June 1872, Grand Trunk acquired Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad; by 1876, the intercolonial railway was completed. William Mackenzie and Donald Mann began constructing the Canadian Northern Railroad in 1896; by 1906, they had incorporated the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway followed by Canadian Northern Quebec Railway in 1907 as indicated on CN Rail's history page.
The union has had other reasons to celebrate recently. On Feb. 24, it announced that the Liberal government and the NDP on Pharmacare confirmed an agreement, which will lead to a universal national pharmacare program and eventual equitable access to prescription drugs for Canadians.