Dec 22 (Reuters) - Unifor said on Sunday that its

members at Canadian National Railway ( CNI ) have ratified a

new four-year collective agreement, averting a potential strike

action.

Unifor, which represents more than 3,000 members at the

railroad's Council 4000 and Local 100 committees, said the

agreement includes improvements to wages and benefits as well as

job protections for members working in CN terminals and

headquarters across Canada.

The railroad earlier this month had reached a new tentative

four-year collective agreement with the union.

"This agreement secures important gains that reflect the

critical contributions of Unifor members to CN's operations,"

Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a statement.

CN did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for

comment.

The ratification comes after Unifor members last month

authorized a strike action if the parties failed to reach an

agreement by Jan. 1.

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.

Canada, the world's second-largest country by area, relies

heavily on trains to transport a wide range of commodities and

goods.