OREANDA-NEWS. January 21, 2013. Boeing [NYSE: BA] Winnipeg has negotiated a landmark early contract extension with its 1,147 union members that will help ensure employment stability at the site through to 2018. Canadian Automotive Workers (CAW) Local 2169 employees today voted in favor of the collective bargaining agreement extension.

“This is great news for everyone,” says Kevin Bartelson, General Manager, Boeing Winnipeg. “As Boeing designs and introduces new airplanes to the market, we need to invest in our business and we want to do that where we have a stable and engaged workforce.”

The contract includes a general wage increase of 2 percent in 2014, 2.5 percent in 2015, 2.5 percent in 2016 and 3 percent in 2017. It also includes a one-time ratification bonus of USD 5,000 and pension improvements. The new contract also supports Boeing’s continued competitiveness by including a defined contribution pension plan for new hires starting in 2018.

“This collective agreement and the negotiations process we had with union leaders is a good example of the great things we can accomplish when we share the same objective – production stability for customers and employment stability for our people,” says Bartelson. “I believe we have worked together toward an agreement that will allow Boeing Winnipeg to achieve our business plans, remain competitive and attract exciting new work.”

Boeing Winnipeg is the largest aerospace composite manufacturing centre in Canada, employing more than 1,600 people. The site manufactures complex composite parts for the 737, 747, 767, 777 and 787.