Montréal, QC – Negotiations for the next collective agreement at Bombardier began this week and this round promises to be difficult to say the least.
“Recent Bombardier announcements of 2500 layoffs is our starting point and that makes things difficult,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President Stan Pickthall. “At this time we do not know how many of these layoffs if any will involve our members.”
“We have concerns about the future of Bombardier CRJ aircraft and that’s tied directly to the layoffs,” explained IAM Québec Coordinator David Chartrand. “The company has told us there’s a world market for 3,000 of this aircraft but the layoffs paint another picture. We need clarification, we need to put our members at ease about their future.”
“Sub-contracting issues such as outsourcing and the outsourcing of our work to emerging countries are another major concern,” said IAM District Lodge 11 Business Representative Eric Rancourt, spokesperson for the talks. “We’re looking for a commitment from the employer on the value of the high skills and experience of our skilled workforce.”
Other areas of concern for the IAM are the pension fund and job security.
“My office will be keenly interested in these negotiations, both for the benefit of our members and for the benefit of growing our Bombardier facility to take us through the next 100 years,” said Pickthall.
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