MONTREAL, (March 29, 2004) — Canadian National Railway and 380 trucking owner-operators have reached a new labour agreement just a week after the company ended a month-long strike with 5,000 clerical, customer service, and intermodal yard workers.

Eighty-three per cent of the truck drivers – also represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union — voted to ratify a new three-year deal with CN subsidiary CNTL, the CAW announced.

The new contract includes increased pay for city and highway deliveries and waiting time in the terminal, due process for disciplinary matters, a $1,000 per driver insurance adjustment, a three-year freeze on fuel cost increases, and a strike recovery plan, The Canadian Press reported.

While the owner-operators weren’t in a legal strike position, the CAW said they still lost income for not crossing picket lines during the strike by other CN employees earlier this month.

That labour conflict came to an end after workers — including intermodal yard employees — ratified a second CN proposal just over a week ago. The offer included a three per cent wage increase in each year of a three-year agreement, as well as a better pension formula, a back-to-work bonus, and improved shift pay. CN also agreed to return to discipline procedures in place before 2001– a major factor during negotiations.

— with files from Canadian Press