BRAMPTON, ON, April 19,
2024 /CNW/ - Fifty workers remain on strike this week
at the flagship headquarters of MDA Space while the company refuses
to continue negotiations and resolve the labour dispute.
"It is a staggering contrast that management at MDA Space, on
the one hand, have the crucial role of advancing Canadian space
technology and, on the other hand, are unwilling or incapable of
bargaining a collective agreement covering a group of 50 dedicated,
highly skilled workers," said Unifor National President
Lana Payne. "Advanced aerospace
manufacturing is no place for staging theatrics and playing games,
particularly when MDA Space receives a generous amount of public
dollars."
MDA Space, the future home of the Canadarm3 and a key player in
NASA's lunar Gateway space station project, has been awarded
substantial contracts. These include a $269
million contract for the next phase of the Gateway project,
a $250 million contract for
supporting robotics operations on the International Space Station,
and approximately $25 million from
the Ontario government to fund its
new global space headquarters.
Unifor represents 50 workers at MDA Space in Brampton, Ontario who perform a wide range of
production, office, and clerical duties for the company. In the
days leading up to a strike deadline set for the morning of
April 8, the company communicated
that it would not participate in further negotiations with Unifor.
At issue in the negotiations were a combination of economic issues
including insufficient wage increases, pension contributions, and
protection against rising living costs.
"Rather than taking their ball and going home, the Company needs
to return to the table and make every effort to reach an agreement
that works for both parties, not just MDA," added Payne. "If we can
make the Canadarm3, surely we can reach a collective
agreement."
Despite the union's attempts to continue negotiations with MDA
Space, the company has failed to agree to further bargaining
dates.
Unifor is Canada's largest
union in the private sector and represents 315,000 workers in every
major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working
people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in
Canada and abroad, and strives to
create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor