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VANCOUVER, May 14, 2014 /CNW/ - Members of Unifor Local 114 at Cascade Aerospace have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action if necessary, citing the employer's aggressive calls for concessions for taking the vote.
"Our members make Cascade the successful company that it is, and we have no intention of giving up massive concessions," said Gavin McGarrigle, BC Area Director.
Local 114's collective agreement expired on March 30, 2014. This is the first round of bargaining under the new ownership of Halifax-based IMP Group. In the last round of bargaining, Cascade workers were able to bargain an agreement without even taking a strike vote.
Unifor is concerned that aggressive bargaining by the new employer group will push Cascade workers into a strike.
"Cascade Aerospace is doing well because of our members' hard work, and there is no doubt in my mind that with good-faith bargaining, we can reach a deal," said McGarrigle. "The workers at Cascade are highly skilled and deserve fair compensation."
The parties have completed federal conciliation and are now into a 21-day intermission in negotiations under the Canada Labour Code. Strike action by the workers can commence after this period by early June.
Unifor Local 114 is comprised of 450 workers at Cascade Aerospace, including aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs), interior technicians, painters, stores, maintenance, planning clerks and sheet metal mechanics.
Unifor was founded Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged. With more than 305,000 members, Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector.
SOURCE Unifor
