Mr. Stuart Laidlaw representing Unifor reports
STRIKING BOMBARDIER WORKERS RALLY MONDAY
Members of Unifor Local 1075, on strike
at Bombardier Inc. for six weeks in the face of company demands for deep
concessions, will hold a rally outside Thunder Bay city hall on Monday.
"These workers have stood strong against company demands for
across-the-board concessions that would hurt past, present and future
workers at the plant," Unifor National president Jerry Dias said.
Mr. Dias will speak at the 11 a.m. rally, taking place the day before a last
offer vote ordered by the Ministry of Labour after an application from
Bombardier. The company is allowed to make one such application during
each round of bargaining.
Also speaking will be Bob Orr, assistant to the president, and Unifor
Local 1075 president Dominic Pasqualino. The strike at the Bombardier
plant in Thunder Bay, which makes subway and streetcars for the Toronto
Transit Commission and trains for the GO commuter service, began July
14.
What: Rally for striking Bombardier workers
Where: Thunder Bay city hall, 111 Syndicate Ave. South, Thunder Bay, Ont.
When: Aug. 25 at 11 a.m.
Who: Speakers include Unifor National president Mr. Dias, assistant to the president Mr. Orr
and Unifor Local 1075 president Nr. Pasqualino
"Bombardier is a very profitable company with $37-billion on the order
books, but all Bombardier has done during these contract talks is try
to take money out of the pockets of the workers and put it into the
pockets of its shareholders," Mr. Dias said.
The offer to be voted on Tuesday contains cuts to benefits for current
workers and retirees, while offering a wage increase of less than 1
per cent over three years and denying the current defined benefit
pension plan and retiree benefits to all workers hired after Dec.
31, 2010. That is almost 500 workers at the 900-worker plant.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing
more than 305,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when
the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and
Paperworkers union merged.
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