Faced with problems with the supply chain, engines that need revisions and growing demand, Airbus may have another nightmare ahead, a strike at the Mirabel factory in Canada, where the A220 jets are made.
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AIMTA, which represents 1,300 of the Canadian facility’s 3,000 employees, voted in favor of rejecting the new contract offered by Airbus and a possible strike.
Among the employees are mechanics, toolmakers, welders and technicians. The collective agreement expired at the end of 2023 and so far Airbus has not been able to convince them to accept the proposed 10.3% salary increase.
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The new three-year agreement was considered insufficient in light of accumulated inflation and the sacrifices made during the development of the A220 program.
The aircraft, which is capable of carrying between 120 and 160 passengers, was developed by Bombardier as the C Series and sold to Airbus in 2018, which renamed it the A220.
600 pending orders
For more than five years, the European manufacturer has been moving forward in search of more efficiency in aircraft assembly and cost reduction.
The plan is to produce 14 jets per month within two years and thus meet the almost 600 pending orders.
The A220 is also assembled in Mobile, in the United States, but the Canadian plant is the base for all production, where 10 jets are expected to be produced monthly within two years.
In addition to the lower-than-desired increase, Airbus workers complain about the reduction in insurance and pension values. The fear is that even without a strike being launched, tasks will be slowed down, delaying production.
