(Montreal) A strike by some 2,400 VIA Rail employees has been averted, the conclusion of a tentative agreement having been announced in the middle of the night, Tuesday, by the management of the rail carrier and the Unifor union.
Posted at 6:21 a.m.
Rail services will therefore be maintained pending the union members’ ratification votes. VIA Rail nevertheless continues to offer customers the possibility of modifying their travel plans without service charges for any departure scheduled before July 31st.
Unifor says details of the new contract won’t be released until the deal has been approved by members. However, the press release from VIA Rail specifies that once ratified, the collective agreements will be retroactive to 1er January 2022 and in effect until December 31, 2024.
Unionized employees had given themselves a strike mandate in proportions greater than 99% during assemblies which were held from June 20 to 1er July across Canada.
In Quebec, Unifor is affiliated with the FTQ.