Unifor ratifies contract with CP; Ontario Northland, union reach tentative deal

Canadian Pacific announced Monday that Unifor members ratified a contract covering about 1,200 active mechanical employees.

The agreement brings to six the number of long-term collective agreements in place between CP and its Canadian unions, CP officials said in a press release. Unifor represents employees responsible for maintaining rail cars and locomotives.

"This negotiated agreement is fair to both sides and is the result of hard work by all of those involved," said Peter Edwards, CP's vice president of human resources and labor relations. "We look forward to further developing our positive working relationship with our Unifor employees over the next four years."

Rail Traffic Controllers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Teamsters Maintenance of Way employees, Police and United Steel Workers have all ratified long-term deals. The Class I is in binding arbitration with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference-Running Trades, the union that represents locomotive engineers and conductors.

Meanwhile, the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission and the United Steelworkers Union Local 1976 (Local 1976 USW) late last week reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract.

Contract details will be presented to membership at ratification meetings over the next few weeks, according to a press release. Local 1976 USW represents about 100 employees working rail traffic control, customer service and sales and train operations.