Montreal-area Safran workers who make components for landing gear used in Airbus and Boeing BA-N jets will begin an unlimited general strike on Tuesday over pay, a union official told Reuters on Monday.
It comes as plane makers are wrestling with supply chain snags due to parts shortages, and unions are capitalizing on tight labour markets and high inflation to win hefty contracts at the bargaining table across North America.
The 130 Safran workers who produce parts used in aircraft like Airbus’s A320 family and A350 jets, along with Boeing’s 787, walked off the job last Tuesday for one week in an effort to “catch up” on pay, said union local President Michael Durand.
Durand said aerospace group Safran has offered a 14 per cent raise over three years, while workers represented by the Confederation des syndicats nationaux union want an estimated 22 per cent salary hike during the period.
Boeing and Airbus both directed comments to France’s Safran, which is expected to make a new offer to the union on Tuesday, but would not comment further.