CN Rail and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative contract agreement just days before Ottawa planned to introduce back-to-work legislation.
Details of the labour contract have yet to be announced, pending ratification. The union has 45 days to ratify the potential three-year contract.
Meanwhile, CN’s abandonment of a rail line could reduce east-west VIA rail passenger service.
The federal New Democrats are pushing for the Harper government to help save the vital rail line in Eastern Canada.
The Acadie-Bathrust New Democrat MP Yvon Godin is warning that communities east of Quebec will lose the already reduced service from Via Rail in this region without any help from the federal government.
Godin says New Brunswick and CN rail have already pledged investments for the struggling rail line. CN has pledged $30 million to maintain the tracks and the New Brunswick government has offered $25 million dollars.
@AaronWherry Via Rail is our national treasure let’s save it
— Yvon Godin (@YvonNPD) February 3, 2014
CN has also announced it will abandon a 70 kilometre stretch of tracks located between Miramichi and Bathurst because it no longer carries freight on the rail line. Via Rail can no longer afford to buy or maintain this line.
