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Yesterday, CN announced it reached a tentative three-year agreement with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference/Rail Canada Traffic Controllers (TCRC/RCTC).

The Class I and union, which represents about 200 rail traffic controllers in Canada, are withholding details of the pact until TCRC/RCTC members conduct a ratification vote, a process that’s expected to take about six weeks, according to CN. If approved, the agreement would be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2009.

Meanwhile, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division’s (BMWED) Unified System Division and Pacific Federation reached an agreement to merge on April 1. The newly created federation will retain the name Unified System Division.

The division will represent more than 5,000 BMWED members who build, construct, inspect, maintain and provide parts for tracks, bridges, buildings and equipment. The current Unified System Division represents workers employed at Union Pacific Railroad, a number of short lines and Nortrak’s Cheyenne, Wyo., plant.

The new federation will be led by General Chairman Wayne Morrow. Former Pacific Federation General Chairman Louis Below and Vice Chairman Ricardo Canchola will become vice chairs of the new Unified System Division.