(Reuters circulated the following article on July 20.)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Striking track workers on a portion of Canadian National Railway Co.’s U.S. network returned to work on Thursday after agreeing with the company to resume contract talks.
The about 250 workers on the former Grand Trunk Western, Detroit Toledo & Ironton, and Detroit Toledo & Shore Lines walked off the job on Wednesday to protest what they said was CN’s refusal to bargain in good faith.
The two sides said on Thursday they have also agreed to end legal actions filed this week against each other, and have invited a federal mediator to join the negotiations.
The company and the workers, who are represented by a unit of the Teamsters union, are at odds over issues such as employee seniority rights, health care payments and the railroad’s contracting out of work.
A Teamsters spokesman said the picket lines, which were being honored by other unions, were withdrawn early on Thursday morning. CN had been trying to maintain freight service using management crews.
The affected tracks were in Michigan, northern Indiana and northwest Ohio. The strike did not involve Canadian National’s other operations in the United States or in Canada.