Canadian Airbus A220 workers reject contract as tensions rise

[Malcolm]

By Allison Lampert

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian Airbus A220 production workers on Sunday voted to reject a contract and are considering a strike mandate, a union official said, raising labor tensions as the European planemaker tries to reduce the money-losing jet's costs.

More than 99% of the union members who voted rejected the contract, the union official said.

 

The estimated 1,300 Montreal-area workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in the Canadian province of Quebec, are voting on a strike mandate.

While a mandate does not equate with an actual strike, the vote signals discontent among those who produce Airbus's smallest commercial jet.

"This offer, that we consider as hostile, cannot be left without consequences," Montreal-area union negotiators said earlier this month in a French-language letter to members.

The union's contract expired in December.

Unions have recently capitalized on tight labor markets and inflation to win hefty contracts at the bargaining table, with airline pilots, autoworkers and others scoring big raises in 2023.

Boeing's unionized production workers in Washington state have called for wage increases exceeding 40% over three to four years.

(Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Denny Thomas and Bill Berkrot)

[conehead]

99% rejection, that's a pretty strong message.

[neverminds]

7 hours ago, Malcolm said:

By Allison Lampert

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian Airbus A220 production workers on Sunday voted to reject a contract and are considering a strike mandate, a union official said, raising labor tensions as the European planemaker tries to reduce the money-losing jet's costs.

More than 99% of the union members who voted rejected the contract, the union official said.

 

The estimated 1,300 Montreal-area workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in the Canadian province of Quebec, are voting on a strike mandate.

While a mandate does not equate with an actual strike, the vote signals discontent among those who produce Airbus's smallest commercial jet.

"This offer, that we consider as hostile, cannot be left without consequences," Montreal-area union negotiators said earlier this month in a French-language letter to members.

The union's contract expired in December.

Unions have recently capitalized on tight labor markets and inflation to win hefty contracts at the bargaining table, with airline pilots, autoworkers and others scoring big raises in 2023.

Boeing's unionized production workers in Washington state have called for wage increases exceeding 40% over three to four years.

(Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Denny Thomas and Bill Berkrot)

The 220 is still considered "money losing"?

[Seeker]

7 hours ago, neverminds said:

The 220 is still considered "money losing"?

That was my question as well.  Airbus got the whole thing for free - how in the world can it be losing money?

[Kip Powick]

This article gives a fair explanation 

 

https://leehamnews.com/2022/08/15/airbus-nears-800-sales-for-a220-but-major-challenges-continue/

 

[Malcolm]

An update:

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Canadian A220 jet workers reach tentative agreement with Airbus

Story by Reuters

 • 20m • 1 min read

 

 

MONTREAL (Reuters) -The union representing Canadian Airbus A220 workers said on Friday it reached an agreement in principle with the planemaker, with members to vote on the proposed deal on April 21.

The estimated 1,300 Montreal-area assembly workers have rejected two previous offers from Airbus, which wants to ramp up production of the money-losing single-aisle jet.

 

Airbus' Canadian division said in a statement that it views positively that a negotiated tentative agreement was reached with union representatives.

"We are committed to reaching an agreement on the terms of a new collective agreement that will be positive and fair for both parties, while ensuring the long-term success of the A220," it said.

(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard Chang)

Canadian A220 jet workers reach tentative agreement with Airbus (msn.com)

[Malcolm]

Airbus workers at Quebec plant reject company's third contract offer

Story by The Canadian Press

 • 27m • 1 min read

 

Airbus workers at Quebec plant reject company's third contract offer© Provided by The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Unionized workers at an Airbus assembly plant north of Montreal have rejected a contract offer for the third time. 

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents about 1,300 workers at the Mirabel, Que. facility, says nearly 70 per cent of its members voted against the agreement in principle. 

 

Union spokesman Éric Rancourt says negotiators thought they had reached a deal that would satisfy members, but the vote shows that wasn't the case.

Earlier in this month, workers massively rejected a second offer from the employer, with almost all of them voting in favour of strike action. 

The proposed five-year contract included a wage increase of eight per cent in the first year, followed by annual increases of three or four per cent.

Airbus has previously said it is committed to reaching a new collective agreement that is fair for both parties while ensuring the long-term success of the A220 plane, which is assembled at the plant. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press