New agreement ensures long-term stability and improved benefits
TORONTO, Feb. 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) and United Steelworkers (USW) announced today that following a tentative agreement reached between CN and USW Local 2004 negotiators in December, union members in communities across the country reviewed the agreement and approved the contract in a national ratification vote held over the last several weeks.
Wage increases in each year and improved medical, dental and health-care benefits and travel allowances are provided for in the new collective agreement for the 3,000 USW members who inspect, maintain and repair CN’s Canada-wide system of track, bridges and infrastructure. This five-year collective agreement will be in effect until Dec. 31, 2023.
“This is a solid, fair agreement that recognizes the hard work of our members and the key contributions they make every day to CN’s success,” said Jean-Francois Migneault, President of USW Local 2004.
“This five-year agreement provides CN with long-term stability,” said JJ Ruest, president and chief executive officer of CN. “We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish for our railroaders. CN and the USW will continue working together to keep the network safe and secure as we undertake record investments in our track and bridge infrastructure.”
“I congratulate the leadership and members of USW Local 2004 for the solidarity they have demonstrated in achieving a good collective agreement that will benefit CN as well as workers and their families,” said USW National Director Ken Neumann. “This agreement reflects the fact that these maintenance-of-way employees work in extremely challenging conditions every day, performing services that are vital to CN’s operations,” Neumann said.
About CN
CN is a true backbone of the economy, transporting more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America. CN – Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries – serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information about CN, visit the Company’s website at www.cn.ca.
About USW
For more information on United Steelworkers, visit our website at www.usw.ca.
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USW
Ken Neumann
USW National Director
416-544-5951
Jean-Francois Migneault
USW Local 2004 President
usw2004president@gmail.com
514-907-9921
Troy Lundblad
USW Staff Representative
tlundblad@usw.ca
416-544-5947, 416-333-7080