Collective agreement: Ontario Northland Railway

Renewal agreement: January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027. 

Wage adjustments: 

2025: 2.5% 
2026: 2% 
2027: 2% 

Shift premium: $1 per hour for regularly assigned shifts that begin between 2 p.m. and 9:59 p.m. $1.10 per hour for regularly assigned shifts that begin between 10 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. 

Paid holidays: 11 days, 12 days in Ontario and Quebec. 

Vacations with pay: 1 day for each 25 working days up to 10 per year to start, 1 day for each 16.67 working days up to 15 after 3 years, 1 day for each 12.5 working days up to 20 days after 7 years, 1 day for each 10 working days up to 25 days after 15 years, 1 day for each 8.33 working days up to 30 days after 25 years. 

Overtime: Time-and-a-half for work in excess of 8 hours per day or on regularly assigned rest days. Time-and-a-half for all hours worked on a holiday. Time can be banked up to 40 hours per year. 

Meal allowance: Reimbursement of $45 for meals for each day employees are scheduled to work at locations where bunkhouses, boarding cares, or other company premises with batching facilities are provided. $55 where batching facilities are not provided. $135 per day for meals, lodging, and travel where employees are required to work at locations where bunkhouses, boarding cars, or other premises are not provided. 

Medical Benefits: Employer pays monthly allowances for medical-surgical benefits to be applied against payments under any government medical care program: $22.50 for employees in Ontario with no dependents, $45 for employees in Ontario with dependents, $10 for employees residing in Quebec. Employer covers 100% of charges for generic drug coverage and 90% for brand drug coverage. Annual cap of $10,000. Annual maximums of $625 for paramedical coverage ($650 in 2026, $675 in 2027). 

Dental: Dental Care Plan covers 90% of routine dental care and 75% of major dental care annually, with $35 per person deductible, to a maximum of $1,700 per person ($1,750 in 2026, $1,800 in 2027). 

Vision: 100% of expenses every 24 months (12 months for dependents 18 and under), up to $300. Up to $100 for services of ophthalmologist or licensed optometrist. 

Weekly indemnity: Employer pays for coverage of 70% of weekly base pay to a maximum of $725 ($750 on Jan. 1, 2026, and $775 on Jan. 1, 2027), for up to 15 weeks. If employee claims EI sickness benefits after 15 weeks, than weekly indemnity shall be paid for up to another 11 weeks after exhaustion of EI sickness benefits. Employer tops up EI sickness benefits up to 95% of weekly earnings. 

Long-term disability: Employer pays for plan providing 70% of normal weekly earnings (offset by any income received due to disability) until recover, re-employment for a greater rate of pay, or age 65. 

Life insurance: Employer pays premiums for $50,000 coverage with a double indemnity provision on a 24-hour basis for accidental death. 

Bereavement leave: Five paid days for death of spouse, child, parent, or sibling. 3 paid days for death of step-parent, step-sibling, grandparent, spouse’s grandparent, sibling-in-law, or parent-in-law. 
 
Probationary period: 120 days within a 24-month period. 

Mileage: Paid when employee is required to use own vehicle to attend training, when an employee who has reported to a gang is asked to report to another gang mid-week, and when headquarters of a gang or a machine changes locations mid-week. 39 cents per km if personal vehicle is required for rest day travel. 

Sample rates of pay:  

B & B foreman: $39.69 (2025) rising in 2 steps to $41.29 (2027). 
Rail lubricator foreman: $38.13 rising in 2 steps to $39.67 (2027). 
Track maintenance foreman (more than 8 men): $36.62 (2025) rising in 2 steps to $41.22 (2027). 
Track technician (more than 6 months’ service): $30.11 (2025) rising in 2 steps to $31.33 (2027). 
Boom truck operator: $38.54 (2025) rising in 2 steps to $40.10 (2027). 
Flagging foreman: (34.14 (2025) rising in 2 steps to $35.52 (2027). 
Machine operators: $35.52-$36.40 (2025) rising in 2 steps to $36.95-$37.87 (2027). 
Welder helper: $32.47 (2025) rising in 2 steps to $33.79 (2027). 
 
Click here to view the original collective agreement.