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Unifor Local 2169 members voted 93% in favour of ratifying a new collective agreement with Boeing on June 17 after three weeks of successful negotiations.
"The work Unifor aerospace members do at Boeing is of vital economic importance and on the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. "We are proud of the great efforts this outstanding bargaining team put into securing a fair deal with significant improvements for Boeing Winnipeg members. They started long in advance of bargaining to engage members and to organize around the priority issues of the membership. Their hard work has sure paid off.”
The newly ratified contract makes several improvements to Unifor Local 2169 members’ working conditions, wages, benefits and equity provisions. Unifor production and Skilled Trades members at Boeing Winnipeg manufacture composite components for commercial aircraft such as fairings, landing gear doors, and engine inlet inner barrels.
"The skills and expertise of our 1,000 Unifor members at Boeing Winnipeg are vital to Canada’s aerospace sector and to Manitoba’s economy,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “Reaching a fair contract that reflects the hard-work and economic contributions of our members was crucial while also pushing for important gains that put our union’s equity programs and policies into action.”
Under the newly ratified agreement, workers will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of $3.37 to workers’ base wage rate. Notably, the COLA increase takes effect prior to a general wage increase of 7.75% over the life of the agreement.
"This agreement is a direct result of the hard work and solid commitment of our members," said Chris Santos, Unifor Local 2169 President. "The determination and solidarity we saw on the shop floor throughout these negotiations helped us at the bargaining table to win a better agreement overall, and specifically helped us push the agenda forward on securing employer-paid long-term disability benefits.”
One of the noteworthy achievements in this round of negotiations was the successful campaign led by Unifor Local 2169 members to advocate for full long-term disability coverage. Using the slogan ‘LTD not on me,’ the campaign helped demonstrate the importance of the issue to management throughout negotiations, including on the final day of meetings with the employer when all workers repeatedly chanted the campaign slogan which could be heard throughout the Boeing Winnipeg plant every hour on the hour.
"What we saw in this round of talks with Boeing was incredible. There was a clear demonstration of our unity and strength as a union on display for all managers to see and hear," added Jeff Papoff, Unifor Local 2169 Plant Chair at Boeing. “There is no doubt in my mind that every single member made a difference in the most direct way possible."
In addition to the gains in long-term disability coverage, the agreement also includes numerous improvements to benefits coverage. These enhancements include a $700 allowance for social worker treatment, coverage for CPAP devices, an increase in eye exam benefits to $125, and an increase in combined corrective lens and laser eye surgery coverage to $450. The shoe allowance was also increased to $150, and members now have the option to combine two years' entitlement for reimbursement.
The employer and union have agreed to work collaboratively towards the implementation of a Skilled Trades Apprenticeship program, recognizing the importance of fostering a skilled workforce for the future.
Reflecting Unifor's commitment to social justice and inclusivity, the agreement also introduces several important equity provisions. Local 2169 members secured provisions for traditional Indigenous practices leave of five days per year and the collective agreement now includes a formal land acknowledgment. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will also be observed on September 30 as a designated day of acknowledgment. The agreement also introduces Unifor's Racial Justice Advocate program to the Boeing Winnipeg facility.
All members of the bargaining team went above and beyond to ensure that the union’s negotiations ran smoothly, including Unifor Local 2169 Women’s Committee representative Robinna Galvez and Recording Secretary Mark David who worked day and night to support the work of the bargaining committee.
The agreement expires June 26, 2026.
