Canadian National Railway, union reach deal to end strike

MONTREAL - The union of Teamsters Canada announced Tuesday that it has reached a tentative agreement with Canadian National Railway Co. to end a weeklong strike paralyzing the rail transport in most parts of the country.

"I am pleased to announce that we've reached a tentative agreement with CN. I would like to thank our members for their incredible courage and solidarity," Teamsters Canada's president Francois Laporte said in a statement.

The union represents some striking 3,200 Canadian railway workers across the country. They went on strike since last Tuesday over worries about long hours, fatigue and dangerous working conditions.

"I would also like to thank all the Teamster local unions from across different industries, all the labour organizations and members of the public who supported us on the picket line," he added.

The agreement must now be ratified by Teamster members via secret-ballot electronic voting. Before the voting period opens, union meetings will be held across the country to explain the terms of the agreement to its members. The process usually takes several months, according to the statement.

Operations at Canadian National Railway Co. will resume Wednesday morning across Canada.

The weeklong strike led to concerns about shortages of some key commodities in the country. It reportedly could have cost the local economy 2.2 billion Canadian dollars ($1.66 billion).

The Montreal-based rail company had cut its 2019 profit outlook in October and then confirmed job cuts in mid November.