Unionized mechanics and clerical workers at Canadian National Railway (CN) have voted their support for strike action which CN says will not affect operations.
Ballots from members of Unifor Local 100 and Unifor Council 4000 went 98 and 97 per cent in support of strike action, in votes held over the past two weeks, Unifor said in a statement to members Sunday.
Unifor’s bargaining committees are set to meet with CN brass again during the week of March 13, the union said in the same statement.
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Absent an agreement, Unifor said the earliest its members could go on strike is March 21, following 72 hours’ notice.
Lana Payne, Unifor’s national president, said the strike votes provide “a strong show of support to achieve a fair and equitable contract. I know that everyone in both bargaining units and bargaining committees are ready to build off this mandate and bargain a fair collective agreement.”
CN had said Feb. 17 it does “not expect any (Unifor-related) labour action to impact our operations.” Asked Monday if that situation has since changed, a CN representative referred the question back to the Feb. 17 statement.
Asked Monday if an absence of the company’s unionized mechanics would be a concern from a rail safety perspective, CN’s representative said “we have contingency plans in place and the safe operations of our railway will continue.”
Unifor represents about 3,000 CN workers in mechanical, intermodal and clerical positions across the country through five collective agreements, all of which expired at the end of December.
CN said last month its latest offer to the unions had included “increases in net pay and benefit” and “resolves outstanding issues between the parties” while providing “improved working conditions for all represented employees.”
Unifor in a notice to members last month said CN’s pay offer “falls below today’s inflationary rates” and the company is also seeking an “offensive package of concessions.”
The union also said at the time that CN proposed a new “flex-style” benefit plan that “contained very little in actual material improvements and what benefit levels were improved will come at a cost to you, our members.”
In its statement Sunday, Unifor said that if CN is “genuine” about returning next week to the table and securing a new contract, the company “will remove their concessionary demands and start bargaining fairly with the union.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network
UPDATED, March 7: Article updated to include earliest possible date of job action.
