A statement from Via Rail says the deal, which still needs to be ratified by the union, will be retroactive to January 1, 2022 and run until December 31, 2024. Details of the new contract have not been released, but a statement from Unifor says they will be made once it is ratified by members. By averting a strike, Via Rail noted that the temporary agreements give Canadian travelers a break from the uncertainty of a potential shutdown. Unifor chief negotiator Scott Doherty thanked union members and the traveling public “for their patience and support as we continued to negotiate beyond the strike deadline to reach this agreement”. As talks continued to progress, the union offered to delay several deadlines that would have started the job action and derailed the company’s coast-to-coast operations. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 12, 2022.
