Canadian union Unifor announces strike against Bombardier

(Reuters) – Canadian union Unifor said on Sunday that 1,350 of its members were going on strike at aircraft maker Bombardier’s plants after both sides failed to reach a tentative agreement before a Saturday deadline.

Members of the union’s bargaining committee are working toward an agreement and both parties remain committed to continuing the negotiation process, Unifor said in a statement.

“Bombardier continues to negotiate with all parties,” company spokesman Mark Masluch said in an emailed statement to Reuters, adding that the goal remains “to quickly reach a mutually beneficial agreement.”

Negotiations continued throughout Saturday night, Unifor said, and both parties agreed to resume talks early Monday morning.

The general union Unifor did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the details of the strike and Bombardier declined to comment.

This follows a similar strike by Unifor in July 2021 at Bombardier’s business jet assembly plant in Toronto, which lasted a week before the ratification of a three-year collective agreement that included wage increases and higher monthly pension benefits.

(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Aurora Ellis)