Canadian National workers ratify new contract

Canadian National workers ratify new contract    A small group of union workers ratified a new contract with the Canadian National Railway that significantly changes how they are compensated.
   The contract, which goes into effect Feb. 9, covers about 250 workers on one of the railroad’s lines in western Canada through Aug. 31, 2005.
   The new contract provides hourly wages, job guarantees and more flexible work rules, a departure from the decades-old practice of paying railroad workers based on mileage and strict work rules. The contract was approved by 61 percent of members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), according to the railroad.
   Canadian National has negotiated hourly wage agreements for 1,930 employees in North America, about 85 percent of its workforce.