TCRC-represented employees received this letter  with the below summary of the improved offer. Full details of the offer can be found here .

• Consistent schedules with guaranteed consecutive days off:
  Employees will know, in advance, the days they are at work and the days they are off – giving them more flexibility and work-life balance.
  Further, they cannot be called to work during the scheduled days off at their home terminal.
  Examples of schedules:
  • 5 days a week at 8 hours a day – 2 consecutive days off with no calls for duty
  • 4 days a week at 10 hours per day – 3 consecutive days off with no calls for duty
  • 6 days a week at 8 hours a day - 3 consecutive days off with no calls for duty
• Wages:
  Retroactive to January 1, 2024, all employees will receive a wage increase of 3% on their current applicable rate of pay (including trainee rates of pay).
  Effective January 1, 2025, mileage-based employees will move to an hourly rate of pay. The rates will be the following:
  • Assistant Conductor/Yard Helper - $60.00/hr
  • Conductor - $65.00/hr
  • Locomotive Engineer - $75.00/hr
  • Trainee - $31.00/hr
  • Traffic Coordinators will receive a 2.5% increase on their rate of pay
    
    No employee will lose money with this proposal. Employees who currently earn above the proposed hourly agreement will have their salaries protected.
    (The chart below gives an estimation of total earnings under the hourly rate model)
    Effective January 1, 2026, a wage increase of 2% will apply to the rates of pay for all employees designated above.
    Effective January 1, 2027, a wage increase of 2% will apply to the rates of pay for all employees designated above.

Minimum guarantee = 40 hours x 52 weeks x hourly rate (This figure includes payments for hours worked on statutory holidays at straight time, extra payment for premium rate is not estimated)
Statutory holiday payments = 8 hours x 11 days x hourly rate (This figure does not estimate payments for hours worked on statutory holidays)
Overtime = Minimum guaranteed earnings x 10% estimation of overtime (equates to 4 hours of overtime per week). This figure will vary dependent on the overtime an employee elects to work.
Heldaway = 2023 average heldaway payments under current agreement were used as estimation. Actual heldaway above the minimum guarantee will vary dependent on the time an employee actually spends held away from home.

• Further wage premiums:
  Training Allowance
  CN is proposing an allowance for any employee working with a trainee of $7 per hour.
  
  Meal Allowance (applicable to all employees)
  CN is prepared to provide the following improvements to meal allowances:
  
  • Increase to $35.00 per day where accommodations with cooking facilities are provided.
  • Increase to $55.00 where accommodations without cooking facilities are provided.
  • Increase to $90.00 for the all-inclusive allowance.
  Shift differential premiums will be unchanged from what is currently existing in the Collective Agreements.
• Guaranteed 40 hours of work per week:
  All employees, including those on the spareboard, will have a paid guarantee minimum of 40 hours of work per week.
• Overtime paid at time and a half:
  When an employee works beyond their scheduled hours, they will earn overtime paid at time and a half.
• Work-life balance:
  
  • Reset breaks will now be scheduled and employees will know in advance, allowing for more predictability.
  • Maximum hours of work will comply with those set out in the Duty and Rest Period Rules.
  • Employees will continue to self-assess their fitness for duty before going to work using the KSS Scale.
  • Heldaway on single subdivision will commence after the 11th hour at the regular hourly rate. Starting at the 14th hour, the 1.5X overtime rate will apply.   Heldaway threshold will be limited to 16 hours.
  • Heldaway on extended run and branch lines will commence after the 12th hour at the regular hourly rate. Starting at the 15th hour, the 1.5X overtime rate will apply.  Heldaway threshold will be limited to 18 hours.
  • Elimination of round-trips at the away from home terminal (no double pillow).
  • Elimination of employees being put to bed online (except in emergency situations) .
• Vacation:
  CN is proposing to improve the vacation leave entitlement effective for the next calendar selection in 2025 to the following:
  
  • 0 to 4.99 years of service: 3 weeks
  • 5 to 9.99 years of service: 4 weeks
  • 10 to 28.99 years of service: 5 weeks 
  • 29+ years of service: 6 weeks
• Job security:
  The Company understands that employees may be concerned with layoffs as result of CN’s new scheduling and hours of work proposal. As a result, CN is prepared that, on a one-time only basis, to provide job security (protection against layoffs) for all employees with a hire date on or before the date of ratification of a potential deal. Nothing in this proposal has the effect of limiting CN’s ability to terminate an employee for cause.
• Mobile Workforce:
  To adapt to the changing volumes across our network, whether on a calendar or terminal-to-terminal basis, which leave CN with inadequate staffing levels and employees and customers with unpredictability, CN is proposing a new classification of employees, which shall be bid and awarded on a seniority basis.
  These employees shall move around the network to cover work, on an as needed basis.

The Company proposes to streamline the compensation system and pay employees a set rate per hour for all work. Overtime will be paid at 1.5 x the regular hourly rate, similar to other hourly employees at CN and in Canada. This change will mean a far simpler process for employees to enter and submit time information, and lead to far fewer errors and/or disputes on pay cheques. 

As per CN’s offer, a basic working day will be an eight- or ten-hour shift, depending on your schedule/assignment.

The Company’s proposal is that every employee, including those on the spareboard, regardless of classification, will be entitled to a minimum paid guarantee of 40 hours per week.

As per CN’s offer of $65/hour for conductors and $75/hour for engineers, your guaranteed minimum annual earnings would be $140,920 and $162,600 per year respectively. This includes payment for 2,080 hours, plus an additional 88 hours of compensation for 11 statutory holidays. Employees will also receive compensation over and above these minimums for any overtime or held away time. Using historical data, CN has estimated that average earnings including these amounts will be roughly $157,406 per year for conductors and $184,472 per year for engineers, with ability to make over $200,000, based on overtime hours worked.

The Company has committed in its offer that no employee will lose money with this proposal. Employees who currently earn above the proposed hourly agreement will have their salaries protected.

Each employee will have a set minimum schedule of 40 hours per week. The schedule will specify the days required to work and will include either 2 or 3 consecutive days off when the Company will not call you.

CN’s offer does include calling windows for some employees, which would be based on the schedule and/or position that an employee occupies.

Also, important to keep in mind is that the Duty and Rest Period Rules have established maximum cumulative duty periods:

• 12 hours in a duty period
• 60 hours in any consecutive 7 days
• 192 hours in any consecutive 28 days

Your earnings of 40 hours per week are guaranteed whether the Company calls you or not.

CN is prepared that, on a one-time only basis, to provide job security (protection against layoffs) for all employees with a hire date on or before the date of ratification of a potential deal.