MPP Vaugeois: "The economic impact of good paying jobs cannot be understated"

THUNDER BAY - Ontario New Democrats want to congratulate the workers and management at Alstom in Thunder Bay for receiving a $500M contract to refurbish bi-level GO coaches. This past December, Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles and MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, Lise Vaugeois, had an opportunity to tour the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay.

“The economic impact of good paying jobs cannot be understated, and it is with this in mind that Marit Stiles and I have been pushing for the restoration of Ontario content rules for transit”, said Vaugeois. “In 2019, Alstom (then Bombardier) had to cut their workforce in half, from 1100 workers to 500. Yet, in 2022, the Ford government lowered Ontario content requirements from 25% to 10% subsequently giving a $9B contract to Japanese Hitachi to manufacture the Ontario Line. “The potential profits were so great, Hitachi built an entirely new manufacturing facility in the United States,”

“That was an incredible betrayal of Ontario workers and a betrayal of workers at Alstom which should have received at least a chunk of that project. Instead, those $9B dollars are supporting workers, and profits in the United States and Japan,” said Vaugeois. “In the current battle with Trump to protect Ontario and Canadian jobs, we need a government with a record of supporting Ontario workers that makes sure taxpayer dollars support our own manufacturing sector”.

We heartily congratulate Alstom on receiving a new refurbishment contract, but make no mistake, we will continue to press for the return of Ontario content requirements to at least 25%.