WINNIPEG, Man. – The Unifor branch representing workers in charge of inspections, maintenance and repairs on rail cars and locomotives has voted to accept a new deal with Canadian National Rail (CN). Local 100 – based in Winnipeg, but covering railway employees nationally – ratified six new agreements with CN by a vote of 79 per cent in favour, the union announced in a press release on March 18. The local reached the agreements with CN on Feb. 23, in time to avoid a lockout, Unifor added. The new deal includes wage increases over the next four years, enhanced benefits, stronger job security and apprenticeship ratios, the re-establishment of a joint health and safety committee and provisions for new jobs and in-sourced work; the union and CN will also collaborate to fund initiatives for women and aboriginal workers. “This agreement showed that we were able to chart our own pattern at CN and not simply accept what had already been negotiated by other unions,” said Local 100 president Ken Hiatt, as quoted in the release. “We were able to resolve the concerns that our members at CN have raised and improve their conditions at work.” About 4,800 CN employees are Unifor members, according to the union.