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Today, Canadian National Railway Co. announced it reached three tentative collective agreements with the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), averting a strike. CAW officials had issued a strike deadline for the morning of Jan. 23 because a new contract hadn't been reached to determine wages, pensions and other benefits.

Terms of the three-year deals — which would replace contracts that expired Dec. 31 — weren't disclosed pending ratification by CAW's 5,000 members.

The agreements would be retroactive to Jan. 1 and apply to CN's shopcraft, clerical and intermodal yard employees.

CN is negotiating contracts with six other Canadian unions, which represent about 8,500 of the Class I's workers. Those contracts also expired at the end of 2003.