Airbus Canada to maintain IAM jobs; New deal for Robinson Solutions workers
Tentative agreements reached at Cogeco
MONTREAL — At Cogeco in Montreal, two groups of employees — office staff and technical personnel — agreed to renew their respective collective agreements on April 9.
Both of the collective agreements (to Dec. 31, 2021) were approved by a majority of the office staff (80 per cent) and the technical employees (94 per cent), says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
“We had to innovate during this pandemic,” says Alain Richard, CUPE representative. “We managed to successfully complete negotiations quickly in an environment where some concerns still persisted. The union and employer bargaining committees displayed creativity.”
Some of the gains included wage increases of 2.25 per cent per year and the posting of regular positions for both job categories, says the union.
The collective agreements of both the office staff and technical personnel expired on Dec. 31.
Airbus Canada to maintain IAM jobs
Montreal — Even though production has been suspended since March 24 and this situation will continue until at least May 4, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) members will remain employed by Airbus Canada, says the union on April 9.
This will allow workers to benefit from their group insurance while continuing to contribute to their pension plan, says the union.
“Following our requests, Airbus came a long way so that our members can maintain their employment ties and receive significantly higher weekly income than the government’s program,” says Eric Rancourt, district 11 business representative. “We welcome Airbus’ open-mindedness to ensure peace of mind for workers during this difficult time.”
Airbus will pay 100 per cent of its Mirabel employees’ salaries. The government will then reimburse the percentage under the wage subsidy program it launched on April 1, says IAM.
New deal for Robinson Solutions workers
OSHAWA, Ont. — Employees at Robinson Solutions in Oshawa, Ont. ratified a new contract on April 3 as Unifor successfully pushed for several enhancements to their agreement.
“This contract reflects the incredibly hard work our members do by providing both wage growth and employer RRSP contributions,” says Jerry Dias, Unifor national president.
The agreement includes a letter of understanding with the employer for domestic-violence leave and it recognizes a women’s advocate program. The program provides a specially trained workplace representative who assists women with concerns such as workplace harassment, intimate partner violence and abuse, says the union.
The three-year contract also includes a total of eight per cent wage increases and improvements to vacation pay, banking of overtime and enhancements to boot and safety glass allowances, says Unifor.
The bargaining committee also negotiated preferential hiring language for independent parts supplier workers affected by the closure of the General Motors (GM) Oshawa assembly line and a letter of understanding that provides for a paid sick day for family, sick or personal emergencies, says the union.
“This contract gives our members clear improvements to working conditions and provides more wages at this critical time,” says Colin James, Unifor, Local 222 president.
Unifor represents 45 members in several trades at Robinson Solutions who provide facilities management services at the GM Oshawa location including welders, lift-truck technicians, battery technicians and mobile technicians. The company provides facility, maintenance, and production services.
Workers ratified the agreement with 96.6 per cent support, says Unifor.
