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IndustriALL statement on Boeing and Bombardier trade dispute

4 October, 2017International trade regulations and disputes should always prioritize the preservation, protection and generation of jobs in all countries.

In the case filed by Boeing against Bombardier with the US Department of Commerce, thousands of skilled, decent jobs are being threatened in Canada and in Northern Ireland.

This is not acceptable.

IndustriALL will not permit any corporation to pit workers in one country against workers in another country.

We call on the US, Canadian and UK governments to meet as a matter of urgency with Boeing and Bombardier, taking into account the social impact of their actions, and to resolve this dispute in a manner which protects employment and does not harm workers, their families and communities.

Background

In September, Boeing accused Bombardier of corporate dumping, and filed a case with the US Department of Commerce. This could lead to punitive tariffs being placed on planes made by Bombardier, threatening thousands of jobs.

The dispute threatens workers who are members of IndustriALL affiliates Unifor, Unite the union, GMB, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada, the UK and the USA.

Workers represented by IndustriALL affiliates include 22,000 direct and indirect employees producing components for the Bombardier C Series passenger airliner in the US, 4,000 direct employees and as many as 14,000 indirect employees in Northern Ireland, and 45,000 direct and indirect employees in Canada. The Bombardier factory in Belfast makes wings for the C Series, which is assembled in Canada.