CALGARY — Canadian Pacific announced Thursday it has reached a tentative contract agreement with United Steelworkers Local 1976, which represents approximately 550 administrative support and intermodal workers in Canada.
Details will not be released until the contract is ratified, the railroad said. The Steelworkers said negotiations had been in progress since November.
“This agreement makes important gains for our members at a time when workers are looking for greater stability and improvements to help cope with the rising cost of living,” Nathalie Lapointe, United Steelworkers Montreal area coordinator and lead negotiator, said in a press release. Ratification votes will be concluded by the end of the month.
“We thank the United Steelworkers for working collaboratively with us throughout this negotiation,” CP CEO Keith Creel said in a press release. “This tentative agreement is a testament to the hard work and commitment of both sides.”
In January, CP had announced an agreement with another Canadian union, Unifor [see “CP, Canadian mechanical workers reach contract agreement,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 13, 2023].
I think CP has the right idea by negotiating their own separate contracts and not being a part of the carriers conference…it makes more sense to have the contracts tailored to the specific needs of CP and their employees.