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Canadian Pacific Railway and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) System Council #11 Aug. 3 signed a tentative four-year contract.
The deal, extending through Dec. 31, 2004, would improve wages, benefits and pensions for CPR's 450 IBEW-represented signal maintainers, and include work-rule changing provisions designed to boost productivity.
"With this settlement, CPR has successfully negotiated collective agreements with all of its seven bargaining units in Canada, which together represent about 80 percent of our unionized workforce in North America, "said Rob Ritchie, CPR president and chief executive officer, in a prepared statement.
The contract also will establish Integrated Maintenance Units, enabling CPR's employees to have greater control over their work, said IBEW System General Chairman Kevin Kearns.
The agreement is subject to IBEW member ratification, which union officials expect to complete by Sept. 30.