CN, locomotive engineers near accord

Canadian National and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference have reached a tentative agreement to renew the labor contract for approximately 1,800 CN locomotive engineers in Canada.

An announcement Monday said details of the agreement are being withheld pending ratification by TCRC members, which could take about two months.

“To my knowledge, it’s the first time we have reached a tentative agreement with CN before the expiration of the old contract,” said Rex Beatty, president of the TCRC. “This was only possible after three rounds of intense negotiations, but without the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.”