advertisement

---

Today, members of the Teamsters Rail Conference’s Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED) initiated a strike against Canadian National Railway Co. because of a “longstanding” contract dispute.

The union, which represents about 250 of CN’s maintenance-of-way workers, targeted the strike at the former Grand Trunk Western, Detroit Toledo & Ironton, and Detroit Toledo & Shore Line properties.

In December 2004, the BMWED presented contract demands to CN. The parties bargained and participated in mediation with the National Mediation Board until March 2006.

“CN has failed and refused to exert every reasonable effort to make an agreement, to settle the dispute and to bargain with the BMWED in good faith as required under provisions of the Railway Labor Act,” union officials said in a prepared statement.