About 1,800 of Bombardier’s 8,000 workers in Montreal are taking a pause from work on Monday following the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local 712 chapter’s rejection last weekend of a five-year contract offer from the company. Both parties expect negotiations to resume on Tuesday, but the union declared Monday a “study day.”

More than 75 percent of the IAMAW Local 712 members voted against the offer, which called for a general increase of $1.85/hour first-year pay increase with 3 percent in the second and third years, a 0.5 percent bump above the consumer price index “within a salary progressions of 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent” in the out years. The offer further called for the end of certain subcontract activities, limits on outsourcing, and increases in job protections.

"This result confirms that Bombardier has a long way to go to rebuild a sense of belonging with the workers,” said IAMAW business representative Eric Rancourt, who is responsible for the Bombardier unit. “It's simple, what the members want in this collective agreement is the recognition of the sacrifices they made during the last years to help the company. Add to that the rising cost of living."

Bombardier said it was disappointed by the results and that it was examining options for renewing a collective bargaining agreement. “The company is confident it is on the right track and remains engaged toward a successful future for all employees, including IAMAW Local 712 members as well as the sites in the Montreal area where they work,” it said in a statement.

The study day affects workers at one of Bombardier’s main buildings, as well as a structures building in the Ville Saint Laurent suburb, the company confirmed, but said it has put a contingency plan in place to reduce the impact on operations.