THUNDER BAY – Sixty local Bombardier jobs will be moved to Kingston in October as the company realigns its operations to build 204 committed streetcars for the Toronto Transit Commission.
The company announced moves on Friday it says will give its Thunder Bay plant greater ability to focus on the troubled $1-billion streetcar contract.
“What we’re looking at is giving right now all of our sites -- and in this case, Thunder Bay -- the tools to succeed so they can concentrate specifically on the TTC streetcar project,” said Bombardier spokesman Marc-Andre Lefebvre.
“Obviously, there’s lots of work going on in Thunder Bay with the Toronto rocket subway cars but we really want to make sure the Thunder Bay plant can concentrate and give all of their energy to the TTC streetcar project to hasten delivery.”
Bombardier is committing to deliver 31 TTC vehicles to Toronto by year’s end, half of its initial commitment.
It will also move some production from Mexico to La Pocatiere, Quebec. The company has expressed part size incompatibility in its Mexico production to be among the challenges that has delayed the TTC project.
The 60 local employees whose jobs will be moved are currently working toward the prototype vehicle that was due last year to begin a 182-vehicle, $770-million Metrolinx contract.
Unifor Local 1075 president Dominic Pasqualino said it’s “devastating” to see any production leaving the local plant but depending on Bombardier’s next moves, Thunder Bay could see a net job increase in the near future.
“They’re talking about building a second LRV line for these Toronto street cars we’re building presently. We’re hoping to have that line being built in our Thunder Bay plant,” he said.
“Also, they haven’t decided where the Edmonton contract is going to go. If we get the bi-level line doubled up and the LRV line and also the Edmonton contract, we’d be looking at a net gain for our plant. But if none of those things come and Metrolinx goes to Kingston as they’ve announced already, we’ll be looking at a definite loss for our plant.”
Pasquilino added the current rate of production on the TTC contract is one car every eight days where to have the vehicles complete for the 2019 deadline would require a turnover time of only four days. He said a second line would improve production.
