Press conference Thursday: Unifor to give update on CN negotiations

MONTREAL, Feb. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - Unifor will be giving an update about negotiations with CN Rail at a press conference on Thursday at 12-noon ET.

Unifor reached a tentative agreement with CP on Saturday night, but has been unable to reach an agreement with CN after five months of negotiations. On Sunday evening, CN abruptly halted negotiations, refusing to meet the Unifor rail pattern.

Press conference:

Thursday, February 19 at 12-noon ET
Delta Montreal - Vivaldi Room (Mezzanine level)
475 President Kennedy Avenue, Montreal, QC 

Speakers:
Unifor President Jerry Dias
Unifor Montreal area director Myriam Germain
National Council 4000 President Barry Kennedy (CN)
Unifor Local 100 President Ken Hiatt (CN)
Unifor Local 101R President Tom Murphy (CP)

Members of the media who are unable to attend but who wish to participate can call:

1-866-865-3087

English - passcode: 89767469
French - passcode: 90587629

Unifor Local 101R represents 1,800 members at CP Rail in 18 different locations. Unifor members conduct safety inspections on all rail cars and locomotives, as well as maintenance and repairs. The current collective agreement expired on December 31, 2014 and negotiations had been taking place since September.

Unifor has six collective agreements with CN Rail, which cover mechanics, clerical workers, excavator operators, locomotive engineers (Savage Rail) and truck drivers. Unifor Local 100 represents skilled trades in mechanical shops and Unifor Council 4000 represents intermodal, clerical, mechanics and owner operators. Unifor is the largest union at CN with more than 4,800 members.

Unifor represents 9,000 railway workers and 305,000 members across the country in every sector of the economy.

SOURCE Unifor