This morning, the federal transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced that the government is seeking private proposals to cover service for the VIA rail high-frequency corridor. The union believes this is the first of many steps to privatize VIA Rail.
Our members are not fooled by today's government announcement.
After opening bargaining with VIA Rail in January 2022, Unifor Local 100 and Council 4000 met with the company during February 7 to 11.
As expected, the company has taken an aggressive bargaining posture and tabled multiple serious concessions. It has become increasingly clear that this will be no ordinary round of bargaining.
In addition to our bargaining campaign, the national union, alongside Unifor Council 4000 and Local 100, has developed a multi-prong national rail campaign, "Get Canada Back On Track. Invest In Passenger Rail".
“This bill alone won’t solve all the challenges VIA Rail is facing,” said Scott Doherty, Unifor’s lead rail negotiator and Executive Assistant to the Unifor National President. “However it’s a long overdue step in the right direction and establishes a foundation and necessary building blocks that we can use to improve public passenger rail service in Canada.”
Canada needs to get back on track and invest in the future of its rail system.
The federal government needs to step up and pour some significant dollars into VIA Rail, Canada’s national rail passenger service, if it wants to build back better, following the lead of our American counterparts.
Bargaining between Unifor Council 4000 and Local 100 with VIA Rail opened up virtually on January 17, 2022.
Contracts for more than 2,000 members expired on December 31, 2021. The two local unions will bargain separately.
Unifor National President Jerry Dias says, “Members should have the utmost faith in their bargaining teams who are experienced and skilled. They have been working diligently throughout the pandemic and ensured a fair contract was negotiated for all in 2020-2021.”
Bargaining between Unifor Council 4000 and Local 100 with VIA Rail opened up virtually on January 17, 2022.
“Members should have the utmost faith in their bargaining teams who are experienced and skilled,” Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Our members have been working diligently throughout the pandemic and ensured a fair contract was negotiated for all in 2020-2021.”
In the year since the signing of the last agreement, Unifor members in rail continued to work while keeping travellers safe, comfortable and delivering a high quality mode of transportation.
MONTREAL — Bargaining between Via Rail and Unifor Locals representing 2000 members opened up virtually on January 17, 2022.
“Members should have the utmost faith in their bargaining teams who are experienced and skilled,” Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “Our members have been working diligently throughout the pandemic and ensured a fair contract was negotiated for all in 2020-2021.”
