Unifor boss dissatisfied with ministry inspection at Bombardier plant

A union leader at Bombardier in Thunder Bay says concerns about management doing work on transit vehicles in the plant go beyond basic health and safety requirements.

Bombardier issued a news release today saying Ministry of Labour inspectors issued no orders and were satisfied the company is complying with training requirements following an inspection yesterday. 

The statement said the visit was a response to complaints that members of the plant's management team were operating mobile equipment without the proper training.

But Unifor local president Dominic Pasqualino says there’s more than what meets the eye in this situation.

“[It’s] the same thing as you reading the driver's handbook and then getting in there and operating a car on the 401 or, better yet, even driving … a truck and a trailer on the 401. That takes something that requires some skill to do the job,” he said.

Pasqualino said the union is also taking its concern about the safety of transit vehicles he says are being worked on during the strike to the Toronto Transit Commission and to Metrolinx, the provincial agency that coordinates transportation in the Greater Toronto Area.

A ministry spokesperson confirmed to CBC News that "no orders" were issued to Bombardier as a result of this week's inspection of the plant.

Bombardier spokesperson Stephanie Ash said Unifor had flagged concerns about what management members were doing, but the company is "really pleased" that the Ministry has determined they were not operating equipment without appropriate training.