Unions chart course for aerospace transformation at global conference

Navigating turbulence: preparing for transformation in a shifting industry

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Christina Olivier opened the conference with a call to reimagine organizing in the face of AI, automation, and global restructuring:

“We gather at a time of geopolitical tensions, rising inequality, and rapid technological change. Automation and AI are reshaping the workplace and we must rethink our organizing strategies.”

While the sector has rebounded post-pandemic, delegates stressed that workers still face intense pressure, fragmented supply chains, outsourcing, and a growing demand for new skills. Olivier emphasized that unions must build power where the industry is growing, especially in the Global South.

Maria Perez from Force Ouvrière (FO), and sector co-chair, highlighted:

“The recovery is putting new pressure on workers. Management, whose main interest is to increase the production volume, uses related adaptions in the manufacturing processes to limit our bargaining space. We need unity and action to defend our rights.”

IAMAW’s Jody Bennett, sector co-chair, warned of rising anti-worker forces:

“Far-right ideologies are trying to undo decades of union progress. We must continue to be the voice for all workers, including those who don’t even realize they benefit from our work.”

UNIFOR Quebec director Daniel Cloutier welcomed participants to Canada, emphasizing that local struggles reflect global challenges. With Québec representing over half of Canada’s aerospace industry, he underlined: 

“We have a unique opportunity. Massive investments, including public spending, in aerospace must be tied to strong local supply chains and decent working conditions. Transitions can’t be made on workers’ backs, they must be shaped with us, not without us.”

Connecting the dots: building global networks

As aerospace multinationals restructure and shift production, union coordination must keep pace. IndustriALL aerospace director Georg Leutert called for deeper, more agile global networks, particularly around the big players Airbus, Boeing and Embraer but also regarding the supply sector and companies such as GE Aerospace and Safran, to ensure workers have a voice wherever these companies operate. This means not just reinforcing existing hubs in Europe and North America, but actively building power in growing regions like Northern Africa, India and Latin America.

The emphasis was clear: connect the dots globally and act locally with precision.

Leutert challenged the room to stop speaking in generalities. New aircraft models, mergers, or relocations aren’t just headlines, they’re signals for unions to analyze impacts, identify affected workers and coordinate action across borders. “Let’s make the global network real,” was the message, through targeted campaigns, shared intelligence, and solidarity that moves with the industry.

Flying into the future: bargaining for tech that works for workers

The conversation on digitalization and AI revealed both urgency and opportunity. Delegates acknowledged that while these technologies are transforming the industry, unions can still shape their trajectory, if they act early and strategically.

Unifor economist Kaylie Tiessen emphasized that AI is not inherently good or bad, it depends on how it is implemented and governed in the workplace. She highlighted how unions can influence these outcomes through bargaining:

“The tools to protect workers already exist in many collective agreements, we just have to use them strategically.”

She called for unions to negotiate language on retraining, pay protection, safety and data rights. Importantly, she warned that technological change often arrives without warning and must be anticipated in collective agreements.

Mark Porter from Unite the Union added that AI cannot be separated from the broader ESG (environmental, social, governance) agenda. As companies use AI to pursue climate goals and streamline operations, workers risk being excluded from critical decisions:

“AI and ESG are interlinked. These tools will help us reach net zero, but they also pose a serious threat if workers aren’t at the table. We can’t afford to be on the outside.”

Supply chains and fair globalization

Disruptions in global supply chains remain one of the most pressing shared challenges. Delegates described how outsourcing, relocation, and supplier fatigue are undermining job security and production stability, especially as new aircraft models are rolled out.

Frank Bergmann of IG Metall warned that politically driven trade restrictions are increasingly destabilizing the sector, turning supply chains into “geopolitical weapons.” The risks are high: a breakdown in U.S.–EU cooperation on components like engines or gearboxes could bring production to a halt.

Engaging with ICAO: influencing aviation standards

Unions emphasized the need to engage with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), where global policies on automation, safety,and climate are debated and agreed upon. The International Transport Federation’s (ITF’s) Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez outlined how ICAO’s work increasingly intersects with labour, even if it doesn’t directly regulate it.

IndustriALL committed to closer collaboration with ITF to ensure union voices are represented in ICAO processes: “If unions are not at the table when global rules are being written, we risk having standards imposed on us without our input.”

Redrawing the flight plan: DEI and gender equity in aerospace

A dynamic session on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) sparked honest discussion, made more urgent by the visible lack of women in the room. While IndustriALL has committed to a 40 per cent women participation target, this conference served as a reminder of how far the sector still has to go, both in practice and representation.

IAMAW’s Peter Greenberg acknowledged the gap in union leadership:

“We’re seeing more women in the industry, but not enough in union roles. We launched the LEADS program in IAMAW to mentor women, but it’s just a start.” 

Carmen Perry of UNIFOR issued a personal challenge:

“Not everyone is loud, I’m Italian, I speak up, but many workers stay quiet because they don’t see a path. Find that diamond in the rough, mentor them, and show them they belong.”

She urged the room to stop using caregiving as an excuse for exclusion.

Sophie Albert, UNIFOR, added:

“Too often, women who lead differently are told they’re doing it wrong. We need to redefine the culture, not ask women to adapt to outdated norms.”

In the absence of gender balance, the session became a necessary moment of reflection. Participants left with a renewed sense of urgency to embed gender equity into all aspects of strategy, not as an add-on, but as a core principle of trade union transformation.

Strategic direction and next steps

The conference closed with a focused roadmap for IndustriALL's aerospace work:

• Strengthen global union networks and global framework agreements (GFAs)
• Expand union presence in East Asia and Singapore
• Deepen engagement with ICAO and ESG frameworks
• Launch thematic working groups on gender, ESG and AI
• Improve access and participation for affiliates in Africa and Asia

The message was clear: it's time to move from broad ideas to coordinated action. With outcomes feeding into IndustriALL's Congress in Sydney this November, the aerospace sector is stepping into its next chapter-driven by solidarity, strategy, and worker-led transformation.