Subway train order would save jobs: union

The national arm of the Unifor Union has joined Premier Doug Ford to lobby the Canadian government to step forward with its share of funding for replacement subway trains for the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) Line 2 with hopes of bolstering jobs at the Thunder Bay Alstom plant.
Justin Roberts, president of Unifor Local 1075 at the Thunder Bay plant, called the potential awarding of any portion of the contract a "lifeline" for the plant.
"We are running low on work right now, and the contracts we have currently both come to an end in the middle of next year," Roberts said. "If we don't get this contract or a portion of it, and we don't have any future work on the horizon, that would mean mass layoffs for an entire local."
There are more than 500 workers currently employed at the Thunder Bay Alstom plant.
The path to awarding Thunder Bay the contract comes with many obstacles. The City of Toronto and the Ontario government have each pledged a third of the funding while the federal government has yet to announce its commitment.
If and when the funding is in place, the contract goes out to tender. If Alstom is the successful bidder, it is up to them to determine which of their divisions will build the cars.
Depending on Canadian content requirements, the entire contract can be "watered down" with portions of the contract awarded across the country and overseas.
Alstom has decommissioned several pieces of equipment, including robotic welders, milling and break-metal bending machines from the Thunder Bay plant.
"We still have the people and some equipment capable of building those cars," Roberts said, adding that he is optimistic because of the advocacy of National Unifor's president, Lana Payne. "If it was awarded (to Thunder Bay) the work would be broken up between a couple of facilities, but the aim is to have the Ontario and Canadian governments slide more specific language into their contract for final assembly to be done at the Thunder Bay facility."
If the final assembly is to be done in Ontario, that would increase the likelihood of more work coming to Thunder Bay.
Payne said Unifor has been clear in asking the federal government to act quickly and not wait for the implementation of new funding programs. She said Ford has publicly joined Unifor in the call to create jobs and maintain the servicing capacity of subway trains in Thunder Bay.
"Given the lead time on production, the federal government must commit to its share of funding without further delay. The workers of Thunder Bay cannot and should not have to wait longer than necessary for these jobs," she said.
"The Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto have made their desire to procure the replacement trains and secure the jobs that accompany production within Ontario. Unifor anticipates this work to be secured for our Thunder Bay members."
Payne added that Unifor has advocated for a national industrial strategy that leverages government purchasing rules to grow the footprint of Canadian-made products and services. She said Canadian content requirements must be observed in any government procurement contracts, including the TTC Line 2 contract. Unifor fully expects maximum Ontario and Canadian content to be applied in the manufacturing of these new trains.

Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal