Montreal, QC –Price Waterhouse Coopers’ latest report on the aerospace manufacturing sector estimates that Canada is the second best place in the world to implement this type of industry. Only the United States leads Canada ahead of countries like Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Last year, Canada finished 5th. The Machinists’ Union sees this as a sign of the quality of the work done by the workers in this sector.
“We have to see this as a mark of gratitude to the workers of the aerospace industry,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President Stan Pickthall. “It also shows that even though our work contracts offer good conditions, salaries and attractive benefits, we are able to remain competitive and attract major players in this sector.”
“To ensure that we remain at the top, the Government of Canada must build a Canada-wide aerospace policy,” said David Chartrand, IAM Québec coordinator. “We have been asking for this for years and we will not give up on this idea because we believe that this is the only way to increase the dynamism of this industry and to make it available to as many citizens as possible in Canada.”
According to Canada’s latest aerospace report, the industry represents 190,000 jobs and generated $ 25 billion in economic activity last year. The Canadian aerospace sector has been growing for five years, particularly for its production and exports of flight simulators, aircraft engines, commercial aircraft and business aircraft.
Québec Place
Québec accounts for 57% of the jobs in the aerospace manufacturing sector and accounts for about 50% of the total activity of the Canadian aerospace industry. In 2017, Québec’s aerospace sector represented more than 59,142 workers, of whom a total of 38,529 workers were solely in the manufacturing sector. The average weekly wage of a worker in aerospace product and parts manufacturing was $ 1,404.35 in 2017, compared to $ 1,458.06 in 2013.
Ranked 6th in the world for its diversity, behind countries such as the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, Quebec has the only aerospace ecosystem in the world able to build an early aircraft at the end inside a radius of 100Km.
“Québec is the key player in 2nd place in Canada,” said Chartrand. “Let’s hope that the new government of the CAQ will grasp the strategic importance of this industry for Quebec. Since Mr. Legault promised to create jobs with good wages, I invite him to take a look at the aerospace side. The sector is currently under-resourced and will require 16,800 new workers by 2025 to replace retirements and meet the demand of aerospace firms. There is also work to do to make these jobs safer, protect our working conditions and better benefit Quebec society as a whole from the benefits of this industry. You can count on us to remind governments of its role and responsibilities at this level, “concludes Mr. Chartrand.
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