A new contract for 1,800 Bombardier union members

(Montreal, June 22, 2022) – The IAMAW Local Lodge 712 membership voted 73.4 per cent in favour of the employer’s offer with a participation rate of 80.3 per cent.

“Despite the fact that the offer was accepted, Bombardier will have work to do over the next five years to regain the trust of workers and rebuild a sense of belonging,” said IAMAW District Lodge 11 Business Representative and union spokesperson Eric Rancourt.

The new five-year agreement provides for an average increase of 6.5 per cent in the first year, retroactive to December 4, 2021. For the second and third years it provides an annual increase of 3 per cent. For the fourth and fifth year the agreement provides for the Consumer Price Index plus 0.5%, with a minimum totaling 1.5% and a maximum totaling 3%. The other elements of the contract are the same as those presented at the June 11, 2022 meeting.

Beyond wages, we have obtained a guarantee that no work will be outsourced for the next 5 years in addition to bringing back work from subcontractors to our members,” explained IAMAW Business Representative Eric Rancourt, responsible for the Bombardier unit. We also obtained a clause to reduce overtime during layoff periods in order to facilitate the rapid return of workers on the recall list.

The contentious issues discussed during this negotiation concerned the length of the contract, wage increases, outsourcing (subcontracting) and the indexation of retirees’ pensions.

The indexation of retirees’ pensions is an issue that was very important to us and that gave rise to lively discussions at the bargaining table,” said Christian Bertrand, President of Local 712. It is disappointing that we were not able to make Bombardier listen to reason on this point and we understand the disappointment of some members and retirees. That said, there is nothing to prevent us from coming back to the table during the next round of negotiations,” concludes the Local President.

This new contract will remain in effect until December 2026.

Bargaining highlights

• September 3, 2021: Negotiations between the IAMAW and Bombardier begin
• February 3, 2022: Negotiations on wage clauses begin.
• March 23: Bargaining committees advise members that virtually all union demands on wage clauses have been rejected and ask the employer to submit a first offer.
• March 24: Employer submits first offer.
• April 24: Presentation meeting and vote on the first employer offer (99.6% rejection). The members subsequently voted in favour of a strike mandate by 98.8%.
• April 26: Negotiations resume.
• May 12: The employer submits a comprehensive offer to the union, which the bargaining committee refuses to present. Instead, the employer will table a counter-offer and ask the membership to vote on whether to take strike action.
• May 17: Pressure tactics vote (97.5% passed).
• May 18 to 23: Overtime stopped.
• May 23: Submission of the 2nd offer by Bombardier.
• June 11: Presentation meeting and vote on the 2nd employer’s offer. (76% rejection)
• June 13: Strike day; picketing in front of the Saint-Laurent and Dorval plants.
• June 14: Resumption of negotiations
• June 17: Tabling of the third employer offer; presence of Éric Martel (President and CEO of Bombardier) at the negotiating table.
• June 22: Vote on the third employer offer (accepted by 73,4%)

The IAMAW is the world’s largest aerospace union with over 184,000 members in 1,000 collective agreements. Active in the Quebec aerospace industry since 1940, the IAMAW today represents 65% of unionized workers in the sector. Among others, we find members of the Machinists at Bombardier, Airbus, Stelia, Rolls-Royce, Héroux-Devtek, Safran Landing, L3-MAS, Daher, AJ-Walter, Air Canada, Air Transat.

Source