CN Rail and CPKC reach agreements with support workers

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Canada’s two major railways have both averted strikes by some of their workers just a couple of days before they are scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings.

Montreal-based Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) on Tuesday said it had come to an agreement with workers represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

The tentative agreement is for four years and covers 750 people who maintain the company’s signals and communications systems. IBEW members were in a position to walk off the job Tuesday after voting to authorize strike action.

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CN did not provide any additional comment about the agreement. It reports fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday after market close.

In an email statement provided Monday afternoon before the agreement had been reached, Jason Sommer, IBEW’s senior general chair for council 11, said the major sticking points in negotiations involved wages and issues involving work-life balance.

Another major issue was reimbursement for travel expenses that members have to absorb as they move across the country to perform their duties.

“The increased costs of travel, accommodations and meals have been putting financial strain on our members,” Sommer said in an email.

On Monday, Calgary-based Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CPKC) said it had reached a tentative agreement with Unifor Local 101R, which represents 1,200 employees who work in the company’s mechanical operations.

CPKC said the tentative agreement, which still needs to be ratified by members, will be in effect for four years. The agreement comes after workers voted in early January to authorize strike action.

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“By working collaboratively together with Unifor, we have reached an agreement benefiting our employees and their families while continuing to serve the needs of our customers and keeping the Canadian economy moving forward,” CKPC chief executive Keith Creel said in a release.

CKPC is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday after market close.

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