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Layoffs Coming At Bombardier In Thunder Bay

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The workforce at the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay is about to shrink by 200 people.

The company’s Chief Operating Officer David Van der Wee, says due to a forecast which shows no work by the end of 2021, 125 people will be laid off in October, and another 75 in the spring.

However, he notes there is a glimmer of hope, in that the Toronto Transit Commission still needs 60 street cars.

Van der Wee points out the TTC is very pleased with what it calls the exceptional work done in Thunder Bay in the past.

Furthermore, he says if they can secure the 60 cars, that could act as a holdover until officials can tap into Premier Ford’s ambitious transportation plan for Ontario, including more subways in GTA, which means more contracts.

 

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Bombardier In Thunder Bay Now Producing Ventilators

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The first set of ventilators have been shipped out from Thunder Bay’s Bombardier facility.

Plant General Manager Dave Black says they will make a total of 18,000 ventilators for a southern Ontario medical company, which is in charge of putting the final touches on the machines.

“We have to do the assembly and then because they are medically certified and we are not, they will have to do the final assembly and testing of the units and then they would distribute them to the customers in Ontario.”

Black says they hope to be well in the 100’s this week and ramp up to 1,000 units a week over the summer.

The work will support between 50 and 60 employees for the next few months.

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Bombardier Plant In Thunder Bay Reopening Today

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It’s back to work today (Monday) for about 450 Bombardier employees in Thunder Bay.

Unifor spokesperson Dominic Pasqualino says they have been off the job since the end of March because of COVID-19.

The plant is reopening to build train cars and ventilators for hospitals.

Pasqualino stresses there will be strict protocols in place to help prevent the spread of the virus at the facility.

“There’s going to be social distancing throughout the plant. There’s going to be hand washing stations. Even in the cafeteria, you won’t be able to be close to each other. They are not going to be taking any cash in the cafeteria.”

Pasqualino states a lot of people are anxious to get back to work and start earning some money.

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Union Looking Ahead Following Bombardier Take Over

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There is a lot of optimism from the president of the union representing workers at the Thunder Bay Bombardier plant.

Dominic Pasqualino is hoping French rail giant Alstom will help the plant get the contracts it requires to continue operations.

“We are looking to fill up the plant with some more orders, we have a very skilled workforce at the Thunder Bay Bombardier plant and it’s a huge footprint as well”.

The Unifor representative believes the facility is a “great asset” for any company that buys it.

Alstom has announced its tentative take over of Bombardier Transportation for a reported $8.2 billion.

The company says it is “deeply committed to step up the turnaround of Bombardier Transportation activities”.

 

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Bombardier In Thunder Bay Hoping For New Contract

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There is some optimism the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay could be chosen to build an additional 60 streetcars for the Toronto Transit Commission.

Union official Dominic Pasqualino made a pitch to Toronto City Council on Tuesday.

Pasqualino says his message was well received, even my Mayor John Tory.

He says it’s important to have everyone at the table, including the provincial and federal governments.

Pasqualino believes the streetcars are needed immediately and the regional plant can get it done at the best price.

He says the TTC is expected to discuss the issue at a meeting on Monday.

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More Work For Bombardier Plant In Thunder Bay

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A new Metrolinx contract is going to bring 70 to 80 jobs back to Thunder Bay’s Bombardier plant.

The work is scheduled to begin in April and end at the beginning of 2021.

Unifor spokesperson Dominic Pasqualino says it’s good news but they need more contracts.

“It will be for some retrofits on the Eglinton contract, we are very much looking forward to that. But we need more contracts, 80 people isn’t enough, I would like to see everyone back. I know the City of Toronto is looking at 60 more LRV cars, certainly, we will need that but also more cars after that.”

Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier Transportation, Americas Region, David Van der Wee says “We are going to be moving some work to Thunder Bay. It’s going to be the installation of critical onboard communications equipment.”

Van der Wee continued that this work is key to keeping operations going while they wait for provincial contracts to come down the pipeline.

“I think this is good news and that it continues to support our strategy of building a bridge of activity in Thunder Bay to the point of some of the big ambitious transportation plans that the Ford Government has put on the table really start to get traction.”

The workforce at the regional plant was 1,000 people but 500 employees were recently laid off.

The new Metrolinx contract will bring the workforce to around 450.

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Unifor Urges TTC To Buy Street Cars

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There’s a plea to the Toronto Transit Commission from one of Canada’s largest unions to start buying street cars, especially from Bombardier.

Unifor spoke to the TTC’s board yesterday, saying its 5-year plan not to buy any streetcars until 2022 is very concerning.

The TTC is being asked to act now and order 60 streetcars through Thunder Bay’s Bombardier plant, as well as another 40 cars as Toronto ridership numbers increase.

The regional plant is facing layoffs this month as a contract to make streetcars for the TTC is almost finished.

Local union president Dominic Pasqualino added Thunder Bay has very skilled workers, and if we lose them, they are gone for good.

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Final TTC Street Car Being Built In Thunder Bay

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The last Toronto Transit Commission street car is currently under construction at the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay.

Local union President Dominic Pasqualino says it takes about a month for a car to go through the plant before it is finished.

“There are people working on it. It’s a happy time, because we’re finishing the cars, but a sad time because we don’t have any cars to replace that order.”

However, in spite of hundreds of layoffs coming this month, Pasqualino notes 363 people will still be working in January.

“Going to be building roofs for the LRV that are being assembled in Kingston. And we’ll also be building those 36 cars that we got from Doug Ford, and that was announced in December.”

Pasqualino adds our premier, the prime minister, and Toronto’s mayor are digging in their heels to help.

“Good to see Doug Ford and Trudeau talking together. John Tory was saying he’s looking to get some more money for the transit infrastructure.”

When the current street car is done, it will bring to an end a $1 billion contract to build 204 TTC street cars.

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Thunder Bay Petitions For Bombardier In Toronto

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A delegation of city officials, businesses and labour reps from Thunder Bay are pleading Bombardier’s case in Toronto.

It stems from massive layoffs at the facility.

Mayor Bill Mauro says they stressed the importance of the major employer to Ontario Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney.

Mauro stressed “Our plant in Thunder Bay is the answer to the needs of the Toronto Transit Commission and Metrolinx. A different provider would be more expensive and cause a significant delay in meeting the near term needs of the TTC and Metrolinx. We must also continue to make the point that a local content requirement would level the playing field with competing jurisdictions.”

He says they have a long history of doing the work in Thunder Bay.

The delegation also spoke about the importance of the plant with a Toronto City Councillor and a Toronto Transit Commission Board Member.

Mauro says “I think they understand clearly the seriousness of what we’re dealing with. We only have about 8 or 10 months work left in the pipeline and we’re really hoping to get some announcements before work runs out because than you can never be certain what’s going to occur with the plant.”

Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission Chair Craig Urquhart was a member of the delegation and he says “We are not asking for a handout, we are pushing for fair treatment.”

He adds “Other countries are pursuing domestic content requirements with vigour; we need to ensure all levels of Government understand and address the unlevelled playing field that currently exists.”

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Greg Rickford Supporting Bombardier In Thunder Bay

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With the ongoing layoffs at Thunder Bay’s Bombardier plant, Ontario’s Minister of Northern Development and Mines is vowing his government will do everything possible to ensure more contracts are shored up for the facility.

Job losses at the facility started last Friday.

Greg Rickford says his government will be working with the Trudeau Liberals to ensure more Canadian projects are built at the facility.

“Would be very helpful if the contracts that we have here in Canada, for Canada, were not offered to another jurisdiction and that’s something we hold the federal government accountable for. We hope that they will come to the table when their new Cabinet forms.”

However, the Kenora-Rainy River MPP says he’s opposed to Liberal MPP Michael Gravelle’s ‘Bombardier’ bill.

“With the greatest of respect to Michael, I don’t accept the premise that a private member’s bill now is part of the solution. We’re committed to working with the federal government moving forward. We want trains for the largest transit expansion in the history of this country, for those trains to be built here.”

The legislation asked all public bodies that purchase mass transit vehicles to meet certain Canadian content regulations.

The bill was defeated in the Legislature.

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