(Reuters circulated the following article on January 29.)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Unionized truck drivers, shop workers and clerical staff at Canadian National Railway Co. have voted in favor of new collective agreements, the union and company said on Monday.
CN, Canada’s biggest railroad, and the Canadian Auto Workers union reached tentative four-year deals earlier this month, averting a strike, but the agreements needed to be voted on by the 4,000 rail employees that the union represents.
Shop and clerical employees will get annual wage increases of 3 percent during the first three years of their agreement, CN said, and a 4 percent wage increase in the final year of the contract.
These employees will also benefit from a health care plan after retirement. Shop employees will also get individual employment guarantees during the life of the contract.
Benefits for truckers include an increase in mileage rates, CN said.
The agreements are retroactive to January 1, 2007.
“It was a tough round of bargaining, but with the support of the membership we were able to achieve significant gains in wages and benefits that will form the basis of a stronger workplace environment over the next four years,” said Bob Fitzgerald, president of the union’s National Council 4000.
CN’s stock was up 82 Canadian cents at C$52.65 on the Toronto Stock Exchange late on Monday afternoon.