CN-BLET tentative labor agreement preserves hourly wage structure for

    News Editors

    CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2005--CN announced today it has signed a tentative labor agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) that applies to 400 locomotive engineers working on CN's former Illinois Central (IC) properties in the United States.

    Kim Madigan, CN's vice-president, labor relations, North America, said: "CN is pleased that the new agreement preserves the flexible work rules and hourly wage structure of the existing contract."

    John Koonce, BLET general chairman, said: "This tentative agreement confirms my belief that the Hourly Agreement has been the right way to go in the rail industry."

    Details of the new agreement, which is scheduled to take effect Aug. 1, 2005, are being withheld pending ratification.

    CN's former IC network extends from Chicago to New Orleans and from Chicago to Omaha, Neb., and Sioux City, Iowa.

    The BLET, based in Cleveland, is a division of the Rail Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

    Canadian National Railway Company 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 cities of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, St. Louis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America.



    www.cn.ca

    Canadian National Railway Company (TSX:CNR) (NYSE:CNI)

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CONTACT: CN Mark Hallman (Media) System Director, Media Relations (905) 669-3384 OR CN Robert Noorigian (Investment Community) Vice-President, Investor Relations (514) 399-0052

KEYWORD: NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRANSPORTATION SOURCE: Canadian National Railway Company

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