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BY THE CANADIAN PRESS – Posted Aug 26, 2019
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
MONTREAL — Aerospace workers are “sounding the alarm” to coax concrete commitments to help secure their sector’s future in Canada from the federal parties ahead of the coming election.
In a new report, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) warns of “the absence of a long-term vision,” which could cause problems down the line despite the industry’s healthy employment and output.
The 130-page document recommends implementing a pan-Canadian strategy to better co-ordinate industry efforts.
David Chartrand, head of the union’s Quebec chapter, says other parts of the world are growing their aerospace sectors through “concrete action.”
He also says a pan-Canadian strategy must help Quebec — which houses half of the Canadian aerospace sector — reinforce one of its “most important economic pillars.”
In March, a study by the Canadian Aviation and Aerospace Council found that employees in those fields are generally older than the average Canadian worker.
The study says about one-third of Canada’s aerospace workforce will retire within five years, resulting in a need for 55,000 new workers by 2025.
The Canadian Press