A new Metrolinx contract is going to bring 70-80 jobs back to Thunder Bay’s Bombardier plant. The work will begin in the spring of 2020 and end at the beginning of 2021.
Unifor local President 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 explained the work will start in April and will wrap up by the start of 2021. “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 local plant was 1,000 people but 500 employees were recently laid off. The new Metrolinx contract will bring the workforce to around 450.
