Deal includes increases to wages
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) ratified a multi-year collective agreement with its locomotive engineers, assistant engineers, conductors and brakemen on the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railway (DM&E).
The 300 employees are represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET).
Employees will see cycles with two consecutive days off and significantly increased wages under the new deal, the employer said. The new hourly-rate agreement ends the previous mileage-based wage system and provides CP with increased flexibility and transparency.
The agreement — which also gives BLET members the ability to participate in the employee share purchase plan — spans three years with an option for either side to revert to the former agreement if written notice is given prior to the beginning of the third year. If neither party reverts, the agreement will be extended for another two years.
“This negotiated agreement gives us many more options that will help us better meet the needs of our customers and the North American economy,” said CP president and COO Keith Creel.
“More importantly, this future-focused agreement will improve the quality of life for our employees and give them and their families more certainty.”