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Tentative Agreement Reached At VIA Rail

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A tentative deal has been reached between VIA Rail and the union representing 2,400 of its workers.

Unifor said the deal came late Monday just hours before the workers were prepared to walk off the job.

The initial strike deadline was for 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, but it was pushed back several times as negotiations continued.

“Fighting back against the concessions that VIA proposed wasn’t easy, but the resolve, commitment and solidarity of our VIA Rail members, helped the bargaining committees to push forward and achieve this tentative agreement,” lead negotiator Scott Doherty said in a news release.

Details of the new contract are not being released until the deal has been ratified by members. Once it has been approved, the three-year deal will be retroactive to January 1, 2022.

Martin Landry, president and CEO of VIA Rail, recognized the hard work of both sides during the negotiating process.

“As we look forward to ratification, these tentative agreements allow our teams to get back to doing what we do best: serving Canadians throughout the country,” Landry said in a news release.

Unifor represents maintenance workers, on-board service personnel, chefs, sales agents and customer service staff at VIA Rail.

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Via Rail Announces Layoffs

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Nearly 1,000 Via Rail workers have received temporary layoff notices from the company.

It comes as opponents of a pipeline project in British Columbia continue to set up rail blockades across the country.

“We have done everything to mitigate the impact on our employees and our passengers. At this point, we believe we have made the fairest and most reasonable decision with the proposed temporary suspension plan,” said Cynthia Garneau, president and CEO of Via Rail, in a statement.

Via Rail cancelled much of its service across Canada last week due to the blockades.

Trains resumed Thursday in parts of Quebec and southwestern Ontario, but plans to restart service between Montréal and Québec City were scrapped due to a new blockade.

“This general interruption is an unprecedented situation in our history. In 42 years of existence, it is the first time that VIA Rail, a public intercity passenger rail service, has to interrupt most of its services across the country,” said Garneau.

Via Rail said it hopes for a “decisive resolution” between those involved so service can resume as soon as possible.

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Rail Service Severed In Canada

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CN and Via Rail have announced they will be temporarily shutting down services around the country.

Due to blockades set up by First Nations demonstrators protesting the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline in British Columbia, both companies are halting operations in Eastern Canada with Via rail suspending most passenger operations nationwide.

CN Rail says they’ve cancelled 400 trains in the past week, and expect temporary layoffs will come if the trains remain halted.

Last weekend, CN Rail received a court injunction to end a illegal Mohawk demonstration near Belleville, Ontario, where the barricade is located, which threatens to arrest anyone interfering with the rail system.

So far, protestors have ignored the injunction, and Ontario Provincial Police have yet to enforce it.

Although they carry jurisdictional authority over railways, the federal government has yet to intervene.