Teamsters Canada Members Ratify Four-Year Contract With VIA Rail Canada

MONTREAL – The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) announced today that its members have ratified a four-year contract with VIA Rail Canada (VIA). The TCRC represents some 350 employees working as locomotive engineers and yardmasters at VIA. The ratification follows an agreement in principle which was reached last April 8.

The contract was given a strong vote of support by union members, who voted close to 89 % to accept it.  The four-year agreement, which is retroactive to January 1, 2011, includes wage increases of 2%, 2.5%, 3% and 3%, improvements to benefits and the introduction of a Health Care Spending Account to help offset benefit costs for retirees.

“We feel that this contract is fair and that it balances the best interests of the company and our employees,” said VIA’s president and chief executive officer, Marc Laliberté. “Having this four-year agreement in place provides stability from a business and customer service perspective, and positions us well to tackle future challenges as a team.”

"I'm pleased with this collective agreement,” stated Rex Beatty, President of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. “I think it indicates that a partnership is possible between VIA Rail and the workers we represent."

About the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference represents over 10,000 workers in various trades and crafts throughout the transportation industry.  The Teamsters Union represents 125,000 members in Canada in all trades. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, has 1.4 million members in North America.

About VIA Rail Canada

As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's (www.viarail.ca) mandate is to provide efficient, more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation, in the country’s two official languages. Every week VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500 kilometers route network. The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, hasslefree and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports.  VIA safely transports over four million passengers annually. Follow VIA on Twitter at twitter.com/via_rail. Check out VIA on Facebook at facebook.com/viarailcanada.