The extension of negotiations between Bombardier and the union that represents some 2,000 employees at its finishing center in Dorval have enabled the two parties to find common ground and thus avoid a strike.
Nearly 84% of workers represented by Unifor voted in favor of the new tentative agreement on Wednesday. The latter had rejected, in a proportion of 60%, the initial proposal, last Sunday. On Tuesday, the union party and the employer had agreed to give themselves a little more time to discuss.
“Through their union solidarity, their determination and their great mobilization, they made the difference in this negotiation in this negotiation,” underlined Bruno Audet, unity president at Bombardier for Unifor Local 62.
The union had initially indicated that 3,000 employees were concerned by the negotiations before correcting the situation on Wednesday, specifying that it was about 2,000 people. In Dorval, workers at the finishing center are busy, among other things, fitting out the interiors of Bombardier’s luxury private jets. This is where the customization of the Global 7500 — the company’s flagship — takes place.
For a period of three years, the employment contract provides for salary increases of 6.5% for the first year and 3% for the other two. A lump sum of $2,000 will also be paid when the collective agreement is signed. The monthly retirement pension will be increased. The agreement also includes improvements to group insurance, according to Unifor.
A labor dispute could have slowed the ability to make deliveries of devices to its customers.
This is the second time this year that the Quebec aircraft manufacturer has managed to reach an agreement with its Quebec employees. Last spring, after difficult negotiations, an agreement was reached with the 1,800 workers responsible in particular for the assembly of the Challenger. They are members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).