MonTREAL – Bombardier says striking workers at its railcar assembly plant in La Pocatiere, Que., have rejected what it characterized as a generous offer that raises wages and pension benefits and contained a commitment to invest in new technology.
“The table is set and whatever agreement there is . . . its going to be within what has been put on the table,” company spokesman Marc Laforge said Thursday, hours after unio members massively rejected Bombardiers “final” contract offer.
Nearly 90 per cent of the votes cast at a special meeting of the workers at the rail-equipment plant northeast of Quebec City were against the deal.
The six-hour meeting ended early Thursday morning and the results were published by their unio, an affiliate of the Confederation of National Trade unios.
Subcontracting, pension and salaries have been the key issues for the 330 workers who have been without a contract since Sept. 30, 2011.
The strike, which started Nov. 1, is the first at the plant in 30 years.
Laforge said the offer includes a 12.5 per cent wage increase over five years, a $9-million pension plan contribution that would raise employee benefits by 18 per cent and a commitment to invest $3 million in new state-of-the-art laser welding technology that would return some jobs outsourced to the United States.
The investment would allow La Pocatiere to make the aluminum roof and sidepanels for the Montreal Metro and other contracts.
He said the company isnt surprised by the contract rejection given that the unio executive and negotiating team recommended such a vote.
While Bombardier may be willing to make some adjustments, the final contract cost must be within the framework of its last offer, the company said.
“I dont know how many employees these days are getting a raise of 18 per cent on their pension plan benefits through negotiations. Thats something pretty important and the salary raises that were ready to grant stand perfectly with what is given in the industry,” Laforge said.
Subcontracting, pension and salaries have been the key issues.
unio president Mario Levesque said he is prepared to return to the bargaining table at the conciliators request but only if the company is willing to negotiate changes.
“As soon as we get a call we are ready to sit at the table but not just to sit, we want to negotiate so things advance,” he said in an interview.
Levesque also called on the company to respect terms of a 2010 letter of intent that would guarantee hundreds of jobs related to the Montreal Metro contract.
“The workers want that their managers act responsibly and respectfully by honouring their signatures from that time.”
Laforge said outsourcing beyond Bombardier Transportations network of plants in Quebec, Thunder Bay, Ont., Plattsburgh, N.Y. and Mexico represents just 10 to 15 jobs.
He said the unio is trying to move a grievance on the subject, which is slated to be heard next month, into the negotiations.
“It (the grievance) has nothing to do with negotiations. They are trying to bring that into negotiations.”
Laforge said Bombardier has put in place a contingency plan that will allow it to withstand a lengthy strike and ensure that company meets its commitment to deliver 420 Toronto subway cars and interior finishings for 706 Chicago transit cars. It also has contracts for 100 multi-level New Jersey transit cars, 54 multi-level cars for Maryland transit, along with nearly 500 Montreal Metro cars, which arent yet in production.
“Weve got what it takes to go a long way.”
Meanwhile, Levesque said the unio will respect an injunction granted late Tuesday that limits the number of picketers to 25 and requires unfettered access to the plant by about 200 non-unio and management personnel.
On the Toronto Stock Exchange, Bombardiers shares gained one cent to $3.05 in morning trading Thursday.
