A strike deadline amidst negotiations between VIA Rail and 2,400 unionized workers has been extended through 4 pm today.

Unifor issued a 72-hour strike notice to the national rail carrier on Friday, stating employees were prepared to walk off the job if a new contract could not be negotiated by 12:01 a.m. today. A strike would force Via to pause services across the country.

Unifor says job security is the main issue on the table. It issued a statement last night saying that its bargaining committee is “steadfast” in pursuing a deal that “respects and values” workers.

Early today, VIA Rail issued its own statement.

"VIA Rail remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement," said Martin R Landry, President and CEO. "In the past few months, there has been an increased appetite for travel. We recognize the additional stress this situation is placing on our passengers and the communities we serve from coast to coast to coast."

The company warned that some services today may be impacted. For the latest updates on train status, click here.

VIA is offering customers the ability to make changes to travel plans without service fees for any departures prior to July 31.