Canada’s largest union Unifor said on Wednesday it has started negotiations with Canadian National Railway Co CNR-T over a new contract that covers more than 3,500 workers.
The current agreement expires on Dec. 31 and the contract discussions come at a time when North American railroad operators are under the scanner over working conditions and pay.
Last month, the Biden administration secured a tentative deal between railroads and unions at the last minute to avert a potential strike, after negotiations stretched for more than two years.
Unifor said on Wednesday that both parties exchanged proposals and agreed to meet and continue negotiations in November and December.
The union’s proposals include higher wages and better benefits, as well as addressing the ongoing issue of contracting out unionized work.
“We look forward to further constructive discussions with Unifor,” Canadian National Railway said.
As of Dec. 31, Canadian National Railway had 22,604 employees, of which 17,167 were unionized employees.