(The International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued the following news release on March 23.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On March 18, nearly 2,500 members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MOWED) ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway. The previous agreement expired in December 2003. The major gains won by the union were wages increases, job stability, and meal and lodging expenses for workers on temporary assignments.
“I am very proud of this agreement,” said Bill Brehl, National Coordinator for TCRC-MOWED. “We were tough during negotiations. We had to make the employer understand that the Teamsters Union was there to support us all the way. As a result, we obtained one of the best collective agreements we’ve had in decades.”
The new collective agreement, which expires in 2006, was ratified by more than 92 percent of the workers, who exercised their right to vote.
Teamsters Canada Rail Conference represents 12,000 workers in the rail industry across Canada.