CPKC reaches tentative long-term hourly pacts with SMART-TD, BLET
News provided by CPKC Apr 24, 2026, 17:23 ET Share this article Share to X Share this article Share to X CALGARY, AB , April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP ) ( CPKC ) today said it has reached new tentative collective bargaining agreements with the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Works – Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) consolidating 11 existing contracts across the company's U.S. network into two new long-term hourly agreements. Each of the tentative agreements has a term from 2025 to 2034 and covers approximately 1,700 Train & Engine (T&E) service employees across 11 states – Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana. "This is a significant milestone for our railroaders and our network," said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO.
"These historic tentative agreements provide long‑term labor stability while enhancing flexibility and bringing meaningful improvements in pay and quality of life for our railroaders. Thank you to the leaders of SMART‑TD and the BLET for working with us at the bargaining table to reach this outcome that supports our railroaders and their families, while strengthening our ability to better serve our customers safely and efficiently." The SMART‑TD agreement covers conductors, brakemen, and other train service employees, while the BLET agreement covers locomotive engineers and other T&E employees, bringing railroaders previously covered under multiple agreements into a modern, streamlined labor framework aligned with CPKC's integrated North American network. The ratification of these two long-term hourly agreements, combined with the recently ratified Soo Line BLET agreement, would represent the conclusion of negotiations for approximately 81 percent of CPKC's U.S. T&E workforce.
The Soo Line BLET agreement ratified in December 2025 is not scheduled to reopen again for collective bargaining until 2029. About CPKC With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf Coast to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing approximately 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent.
CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC. CP-IR SOURCE CPKC 21 % more press release views with Request a Demo × Modal title