Unifor Local 112 and 673 members at the Bombardier Downsview plant delivered a strong strike mandate over the weekend as the union ramps up negotiations with the employer.

Local 112 represents production workers and skilled trades at the Downsview facility who voted 96% in favour of authorizing the union to take strike action, if necessary. Local 673 technical, office and professional workers at the plant voted 89% in favour.

“These negotiations are about protecting advanced manufacturing jobs vital to our community, the industry, and our national economy,” said Scott McIlmoyle, Unifor Local 112 President, representing 1,257 members at the Downsview plant.

Unifor members at the Downsview plant previously outlined a broad range of bargaining proposals. At issue is Bombardier Aerospace’s plan to move its current operations to a new facility at Pearson International Airport. The union is seeking strong job security protections as well as firm work and program commitments from the company.

“This is about getting a fair deal that gives our members the respect they deserve and provides the job security they need to successfully transition to the new facility,” added Scott McIlmoyle.

Bombardier Aerospace previously announced it would sell the Downsview facility and move operations in early 2018. The following year, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and Bombardier reached a long-term lease agreement to build a new manufacturing centre for its Global 7500 business jets.

The union is also focused on members’ bargaining proposals to improve wages, pensions, and health care benefits as well as address numerous issues related to contracting out bargaining unit work.

“Our union will not accept any erosion of our bargaining unit or our work ownership protections,” said Maryellen McIlmoyle, Unifor Local 673 President, representing 204 office and clerical members at the plant. “Our message is simple: We want a deal with Bombardier that respects what we’ve earned to-date.”

The current collective agreement expires June 21, 2021.

Like most Canadians, Unifor members were horrified by the announcement that the bodies of 215 missing children have been discovered by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Impromptu vigils sprung up across the country and people wore orange as an extension of the annual Every Child Matters campaign that normally takes place in September.

Unifor members working for Coast Mountain Bus Company (Translink) in Metro Vancouver negotiated an exception to the uniform policy to wear orange during the week of May 31 to June 4, 2021. Transit operators could also tie orange ribbons to bus mirrors.

Read Unifor’s full statement on the grave: https://www.unifor.org/en/whats-new/briefs-statements/missing-children-found-tkemlups-te-secwepemc-territory-0

Several Unifor locals were among Quebec labour unions that converged at the National Assembly in Quebec City for a 59-hour vigil May 31 to June 2 to demand changes to a contentious health and safety bill.

While Bill 59 has been touted by the Legault government as a necessary modernization of the Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety, the bill is instead part of a move to reduce the financial burden of employers on the backs of injured and sick workers.

To achieve this, Bill 59 provides for a significant rollback of the rights of workers.

“It’s unacceptable,” said Renaud Gagné, Unifor’s Quebec Director. “We have been demanding improvements to our occupational health and safety act for over forty years. We can’t wait another 40 years to assert our rights.”

Bill 59 represents a huge step backwards in terms of both prevention and compensation. The amendments will have a particularly serious impact on women, notably the proposal to limit access to preventive withdrawal for pregnant women.

The union activists held the marathon demonstration through to send a message to elected officials that they will not give up.

“There is no way we’re going to let the Legault government encroach on workers’ rights like this,” said Gagné. “We have to take a stand together to make our voices heard.”

The study of the bill by the government continues in the National Assembly. The mobilization of Unifor activists will continue for as long as it is necessary.