Company will continue freight operations in the event of labour
disruption, urges CAW to work toward settlement ahead of Jan. 25, 2011,
strike deadline
MONTREAL, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ - CN (TSX: CNR)(NYSE: CNI) said the
Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union today gave the Company notice of its
intention to strike the railway at 0001 hours Eastern time Jan. 25,
2011.
CN believes there is sufficient time for the parties to reach an
agreement before the strike deadline.
CN has established a contingency service plan to operate the railway
safely and as efficiently as possible in the event of a strike, with
trained and qualified management personnel performing the tasks of CAW
members.
The CAW represents approximately 3,975 workers in four distinct
bargaining units at CN and CNTL (a subsidiary of CN) - mechanical,
clerical/intermodal, excavator operators, and owner-operator truck
drivers.
CN has been bargaining with the CAW since September 2010; the union's
contracts expired on Dec. 31, 2010.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information included in this news release constitutes
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and under Canadian
securities laws. CN cautions that, by their nature, these
forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and
assumptions. The Company cautions that its assumptions may not
materialize and that current economic conditions render such
assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made, subject to
greater uncertainty. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees
of future performance and involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results of
performance of the Company or the rail industry to be materially
different from the outlook or any future results or performance implied
by such statements. Important factors that could affect the above
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the effects
of general economic and business conditions, industry competition,
inflation, currency and interest rate fluctuations, changes in fuel
prices, legislative and/or regulatory developments, compliance with
environmental laws and regulations, actions by regulators, various
events which could disrupt operations, including natural events such as
severe weather, droughts, floods and earthquakes, labor negotiations
and disruptions, environmental claims, uncertainties of investigations,
proceedings or other types of claims and litigation, risks and
liabilities arising from derailments, and other risks detailed from
time to time in reports filed by CN with securities regulators in
Canada and the United States. Reference should be made to "Management's
Discussion and Analysis" in CN's annual and interim reports, Annual
Information Form and Form 40-F filed with Canadian and U.S. securities
regulators, available on CN's website, for a summary of major risks.
CN assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements
to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in
beliefs, unless required by applicable Canadian securities laws. In the
event CN does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should
be made that CN will make additional updates with respect to that
statement, related maters, or any other forward-looking statement.
CN - Canadian National Railway Company and its operating railway
subsidiaries - spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver,
Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala.,
and the key metropolitan areas of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit,
Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Memphis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North
America. For more information on CN, visit the company's website at www.cn.ca.
SOURCE CN