Tentative deal reached in Autoport strike

The union that represents more than 200 striking workers at the Autoport vehicle shipment facility in Eastern Passage, N.S., says a tentative agreement has been reached with the company.

No details of the agreement have been released, but Unifor said workers will vote on the new contract Wednesday. Almost 240 employees walked off the job on Feb. 27 after rejecting a previous tentative agreement. 

The Autoport, which is run by a subsidiary of CN, handles about 185,000 vehicles a year, according to the union. The vehicles, shipped by sea from places like Europe, are unloaded at the facility and put in lots before being moved to rail cars and transported across North America.

Jennifer Murray, the Atlantic regional director for Unifor, said one of the main sticking points in negotiations has been wages. 

“We’re living in a time where it’s tough putting food on the table, paying mortgage bills and rent and all of those things,” she said in an interview.

Under the previous collective agreement, which expired in December, workers at the facility earn between $22.30 and $33.06 an hour after probation.

The Autoport brought in replacement workers for the duration of the strike, according to the union, which has criticized the move.

A CN spokesperson confirmed in an email there is a tentative agreement, but did not offer any details.

In a statement posted to its website Tuesday, Unifor said picket lines will remain until the deal is ratified.