Unifor said on Monday its members at Canadian National Railway have authorized a strike action at the railroad if the parties fail to reach an agreement by Jan. 1.

Unifor, which represents more than 3,600 members at the railroad's Council 4000 and Local 100 committees, said members voted "overwhelmingly" in favor of the strike action.

Containers are stacked at the CPKC Toronto yard, after Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) locked out workers following unsuccessful negotiation attempts with the Teamsters union, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

"CN is committed to reaching negotiated agreements with Unifor that are good for employees, customers, and the economy," said Ashley Michnowski, a spokesperson for Canadian National.

Unifor, which represents CN Rail's car technicians and heavy duty mechanics among other workers, said negotiations with the railroad will resume from Nov. 30 to Dec. 8 in Montreal.

The union had initiated negotiations with CN Rail in September, with bargaining priorities that included higher wages, addressing concerns about the pension plan and job security for its members.