Airbus workers at Quebec plant reject company's third contract offer

Unionized workers at an Airbus assembly plant north of Montreal have rejected a contract offer for the third time. An Airbus employee works on the assembly line at the company's plant in Mirabel, Que., Feb. 20, 2020. (Graham Hughes, The Canadian Press)

Unionized workers at an Airbus assembly plant north of Montreal have rejected a contract offer for the third time.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents about 1,300 workers at the Mirabel, Que. facility, says nearly 70 per cent of its members voted against the agreement in principle.

Union spokesman Éric Rancourt says negotiators thought they had reached a deal that would satisfy members, but the vote shows that wasn't the case.

Earlier in this month, workers massively rejected a second offer from the employer, with almost all of them voting in favour of strike action.

The proposed five-year contract included a wage increase of eight per cent in the first year, followed by annual increases of three or four per cent.

Airbus has previously said it is committed to reaching a new collective agreement that is fair for both parties while ensuring the long-term success of the A220 plane, which is assembled at the plant.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2024.