VIA Rail reaches tentative agreements with Unifor union

VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) has reached tentative agreements for a two-year contract renewal of the collective agreements with Unifor, the union representing more than 2,400 VIA Rail employees in stations, on board trains, in maintenance centers and administrative offices.

These tentative agreements are subject to ratification vote by VIA Rail‘s Unifor members.

“We are pleased to have reached these agreements and look forward to their ratification,” said Patricia Jasmin, interim Chief Employee Experience Officer. “This encouraging step reflects the commitment and hard work both parties have demonstrated throughout this process.”

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, VIA Rail and Unifor agreed to postpone the negotiations for the collective agreements, that expired on December 31, 2019, with Unifor 1 (off-train employees), Unifor 2 (onboard train employees) and Unifor 3 (shopcraft personnel). The usual collective agreement bargaining process then resumed in Q4 2020.