OREANDA-NEWS. CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) announced today that it has reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers (USW) union Local 2004 to renew the labour contract for approximately 3,000 CN maintenance-of-way employees represented by the USW in Canada. The current CN-USW labour agreement is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2014.

Jim Vena, CN executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said: "We are pleased to have reached a new four year agreement with the Steelworkers before the current contract expires at month's end. The discussions reflected a desire to address issues of mutual concern and generated solutions for both sides."

USW members inspect, maintain and repair CN's track, bridges and structures in Canada.

The union is expected to announce ratification results before the end of January 2015.

CN is a true backbone of the economy, transporting approximately CAD 250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network spanning Canada and mid-America. CN - Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries-serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America.