(Reuters) - Unifor said on Tuesday it has initiated contract negotiations with Canadian Pacific Kansas City, just weeks after it opened negotiations with Canadian National Railway.

The union, representing 1,200 workers at CPKC, will seek to address key issues affecting rail workers across seventeen workplaces in Canada.

Canada is the world's second-largest country by area and relies heavily on trains to transport a wide range of commodities and goods. Work stoppages at railroad companies could bring the nation's economy to a grinding halt, as they did in August.

Unifor said its bargaining priorities include "high levels of contracting out, forced overtime and strict company policies that negatively impact work-life balance."

In August, the railroad company faced a threat of work stoppage by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Union in one of the biggest service disruptions in the country.

The work stoppage came to an end only after the Canadian government called for a binding arbitration to reach an agreement over a new contract. Teamsters has filed court challenges against the rulings.