Summary
- Bombardier employees strike, halting production of Global aircraft. No agreement was reached with the union.
- The new $500 million Toronto facility replaced its Downsview plant, and it aims to produce 150+ business jets yearly.
- Negotiations are ongoing between Bombardier and Unifor unions to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
At midnight on Monday, June 24, over 1,350 employees of Bombardier went on strike. These employees were represented by the Unifor Local 112 and 673 unions. Bombardier and these unions were unable to reach an agreement by the strike deadline, which was 23:59 local time on Saturday, June 22.
Halting production of Global aircraft
The inability to reach an agreement between Bombardier and the two Unifor unions forced Bombardier to shut down the production lines of each of its Global aircraft, including the Global 5500, the Global 6500, and the Global 7500. All of these aircraft are manufactured at Bombardier’s production facility in Toronto, near Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).
A spokesperson for Bombardier spoke about the strike. They told Bloomberg,
“Our collective goal remains to swiftly reach a mutually beneficial agreement.”
Although no agreement was made on Saturday by midnight, both parties continued the bargaining process. The negotiations on a new contract continued through Saturday into Sunday before resuming negotiations early yesterday morning.
In a statement, Unifor representatives stated,
“The union’s bargaining committee members are working towards an agreement and both parties remain committed to continuing the bargaining process.”
Bombardier’s recently opened Toronto facility
The strike is occurring at Bomardier’s production facility near Toronto Pearson International Airport. This facility was recently opened in early May. The new manufacturing plant cost nearly $500 million to develop. It currently houses the manufacturing lines for the Global 5500, the Global 6500, and the Global 7500.
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Bombardier Officially Opens Its New Plant at Toronto Pearson
The new production facility replaces its Downsview facility.
The production facility will also house the manufacturing line for the Global 8000, once it is entered into service after it is certified. Bombardier hopes to certify this aircraft in 2025. The Global 8000 is so similar to the Global 7500 that customers who purchase the Global 7500 can outfit their aircraft to the Global 8000 once it is certified.
The Toronto facility has the capacity to produce over 150 Global business jets per year. The facility completes the final assembly of the aircraft, while sub assemblies are produced throughout North America. The final interior installation is still set to be completed in Montreal after the aircraft is ferried to the facility from Toronto.
This new production facility is acting as a replacement for Bombardier’s facility in Downsview. Bombardier started the process of moving from Downsview to Toronto in September of last year. The Downsview facility previously manufactured the Global family of aircraft, and the final Global 7500 was produced in Downsview in late March.
The Downsview facility has been used in some capacity for aircraft manufacturing since Bombardier acquired De Havilland Canada in 1992. However, De Havilland Canada had manufactured planes in Downsview since the 1920s. Bombardier used the facility for final assembly and flight testing most recently.