Canadian National Railway is bracing for a work stoppage Tuesday after members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in Canada issued a 72-hour strike notice.
The union represents about 750 signal and communications workers, who are prepared to walk out if a new agreement is not reached by a Jan. 28 deadline.
“CN is aware of the notice. The company has a contingency plan in place and is focused on keeping the supply chain fluid and goods moving safely. These activities will continue uninterrupted as long as necessary,” Montreal-based CN (NYSE: CNI) said in an email statement to FreightWaves.
Negotiations between the railroad and union began Sept. 24, 2024, with the union filing a notice of dispute with the Minister of Labor on Oct. 29, CN had previously announced. That move led to the appointment of three conciliation officers to assist in negotiations. The union says more than 95% of its members voted to authorize a strike.
About 32% of CN’s $11.9 billion in 2023 revenue was tied to U.S.-Canada crossborder traffic.
Canada’s national freight rail network was briefly shut down in August when CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (NYSE: CP) locked out the Teamsters union in a contract dispute. The lockout ended after the federal government intervened.
–with reporting by Stuart Chirls/FreightWaves
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