News Aircraft manufacturers
Magellan strike enters fourth week

The contract for the 350 employees expired March 15 and on March 29, the employees began strike action.

Laura Podaima, Director of Corporate Communications for Magellan, issued a press release advising the two negotiating teams met on Monday, April 12. The company is awaiting a response from the union to its last offer, she wrote.

“During the meeting, the company shared some sensitive financial information with the union bargaining committee and presented the union with a revised financial offer and other amendments designed to address the union’s concerns respecting contract language,” Ms. Podaima wrote.

There have been 13 negotiating days since negotiations began on December 15, 2020, she noted.

Jennifer McMaster, vice-president of the union, said the two sides are still going back and forth. “There’s still a lot on the line,” she said. “We met with the company, but there’s been no movement.”

Ms. McMaster said the company is “playing dirty,” having discontinued the benefits of long and short-term disability employees who were off prior to the strike beginning.

“They’ve never done this before. This is the first time,” she said.

In an earlier interview, Leonard Godin, President of Local 4820, said there are a few things the employees aren’t happy with, including having no sick days, the fear of the company adding a weekend shift when there are not currently three shifts throughout the week; there being no raise in the pension and the pay raises, of which there is none in the first year, 30 cents per hour more in the second year and 35 cents per hour more in the third year. Mr. Godin noted the average wage is $23 an hour, but that includes the tradespeople, who earn more than the non-tradespeople.