TORONTO– Unifor members working at CN voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action amid ongoing negotiations in which CN has tabled a package of broad concessions.

Local 100 members voted 98%, and Council 4000 members voted 97% in favour of strike action. The earliest possible date of job action would be March 21, 2023, following a 72-hour notice.

“CN continues to report record quarterly earnings as a result of the work of Unifor members. In a time of massive profits, rail workers deserve to be compensated fairly and treated with respect. With these strike mandates they have shown they are united in these demands,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

Revenues at CN Rail reached $17.1 billion at the end of 2022, an increase of 18% from 2021. Meanwhile, profits reached $5.1 billion by the end of 2022 (increasing by 4.5% from 2021). A further $2 billion were paid out in shareholder dividends in 2022.

Unifor has five collective agreements with CN Rail, which cover mechanics, clerical workers, excavator operators. All 3,600 Unifor workers in Local 100 and Council 4000 are covered by these agreements – four of which will be negotiated during this current round of bargaining.

“Members are well-aware of the insulting concessionary package that CN continues to push at the bargaining table and with this vote, they’re uniting to push back,” Cory Will, President of Unifor Local 100.

Unifor’s two national bargaining committees have engaged in six bargaining sessions since the parties formally opened negotiations on Oct. 19, 2022. On Dec. 9, 2022, the union filed for conciliation to help progress negotiations.

The bargaining committees are set to meet with the employer again during the week of March 13.

“Unifor’s bargaining committees remain fully committed to reaching a collective agreement that recognizes the value and contributions of rail workers,” said Dave Kissack, President of Unifor Council 4000.

The union is asking CN to remove the concessions and negotiate a collective agreement that values their workers.

Unifor Local 100 represents skilled trades in mechanical shops and Unifor Council 4000 represents intermodal, clerical, mechanics and excavator operators. Unifor is the largest union at CN.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a day to celebrate and recognize the incredible contributions working women have made and continue to make in our country and around the world, and to regroup to face the challenges ahead.

Since the pandemic began, we have been overwhelmed by changes to our daily lives and to the way we work. In many ways, society is forever changed and markedly different from what it was even three years ago. As we mark International Women’s Day, we are reminded that in times of societal change, we need to push for those changes to be inclusive and equity-driven, to move us closer to a more equal world.

We remember that International Women’s Day is rooted in the collective action of working women who came together on March 8th for gender equality, and for social and economic justice for everyone.

Todya, much work remains to be done to ensure spaces are accessible to all women, non-binary, and trans equally. This includes the digital space.

The United Nations is marking IWD with their chosen theme: DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. In their statement, the UN says this aligns with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.

In simpler terms, we must use technology to advance gender equality.

While technology and online spaces have brought opportunities to build sisterhood in solidarity, they have also opened the door to anonymous and targeted gender-based violence and harassment. The unrestricted sharing of information also allows misogynist groups to thrive despite their hateful messages that are harmful and hurtful to the lives of women, girls, and gender diverse people.

Women are more likely to face sexual harassment, cyberstalking, cyberbullying and other forms of online abuse. This can cause fear and anxiety, limiting their ability to participate in online activities and often spills over into their lives away from technology.

Where technology can be healing and helpful is when it helps us build connections and communities. Women now have more access to resources and information, allowing them to make more informed decisions about their lives and learn from each others’ struggles and to support feminist campaigns around the world.

Women in Iran and Afghanistan are facing extreme risks to their lives as they strive to claw back their autonomy and their right to education from oppressive, authoritarian governments. Women in the United States are waging a battle to reclaim their reproductive rights following the devastating overturning of Roe v. Wade. Unifor sisters stand in solidarity with them and continue our fight for stronger legislative protections of abortion rights and better access to reproductive care here at home.

In our union’s work to combat the online harassment of journalists and media workers, we fight for gender equality.

In our union’s work to bargain gains for women in the workplace, including through pay equity and the women’s and racial justice advocate programs, we fight for gender equality.

In our union’s work to defend and expand public health care in Canada, and protect the working conditions of health care workers, we fight for gender quality.

In our union’s work to fight for good jobs and fair wages for everyone, across all sectors and in every region of the country, including on picket lines where workers are on strike or locked-out, we fight for gender equality.

In our effort to build an inclusive and representative union for everyone, we fight for gender equality.

The International Women’s Day organization is also reminding us today to #EmbraceEquity. We welcome everyone into every space and raise awareness about discrimination, in all its forms.

Today we celebrate the amazing achievements of working women who are making a positive difference in the world. Let us take the opportunity to applaud the women trailblazers, supporters, nurturers, activists and fighters in our lives, near and far, and thank them for all they do.

Are you marking IWD with your Unifor Local or in your community? Share your stories, your successes, and your celebrations of womanhood with us. We encourage Unifor members to share stories and photos of celebrations online and join in the global celebration of International Women’s Day.

Tag Unifor on social media, or send photos and stories directly to women@unifor.org.

Together, we are building a better world for everyone.

Find the social media graphics here.

Download the poster here.