TORONTO -- Two Canadian Auto Workers locals representing more than 2,200 employees at Bombardier's de Havilland plant in Toronto have ratified new collective agreements.
The Canadian Auto Workers union says the three-year agreements provide wage, benefit and pension gains as well as retirement incentives.
CAW Local 112 represents 1,800 production and skilled trades workers at the aerospace facility. They voted 87 per cent in favour of the agreement.
Local 673 represents 450 office, technical and professional workers who overall voted 70 per cent in favour Sunday afternoon.
The new agreements provide an increase of more than seven per cent in average earnings, including projected cost of living allowance, over the three years.
They also provide a 9.7 per cent increase in basic pension, two separate increases in current retirees pensions and several improvements in benefits.
Jerry Dias, assistant to the CAW president, said job security was key to reaching an agreement.
"In addition to the strong economic package, the most important issue was preservation of our job security clause," Dias said.
CAW Local 112 plant chairman Merv Gray said the agreements help protected the future for current workers "as well as create new jobs with the assembly of the Global 7000/8000 jet."
The Toronto plant has been selected by Bombardier Aerospace to do the final assembly on the two long-range business jets.
