Bombardier Workers Pressure Province For Montreal Metro Contract

This is a no brainer. Bombardier should not only be building subway trains for Montreal and Toronto, but also providing electric high speed rail travel for, say, the Windsor- Quebec City corridor. Europe uses Bombardier technology, why the hell don`t we?

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Dave Ruston

Oh no! This is the first time I have ever disagreed with you Dave.

While I like to see these jobs remain in Canada, the only problem I have with this is the following:

"Bombardier Transportation was recently selected by the Ontario government to supply more than 200 new traincars for the Toronto subway, without an open bid. The cars will be built at Thunder Bay, Ont."

Without an open bid? Where does it go from here? Maybe I am wrong, I am in no way an expert in this area. I thought it was standard to allow an open bid (yes, I know that most contracts awarded are way over-priced and it's a who-you-know or best lobby group).

I don't know, I don't like it...


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These days, if you are not confused, you are not thinking clearly. Mrs. Irene Peters

Open bids in Government are normal, unless the product required only comes from one supplier. If the Bombardier engines can only pull Bombardier cars, then they knew that would be the case when they bought the engines.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

But if that is the case, then why would they even have to lobby for the contract?


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These days, if you are not confused, you are not thinking clearly. Mrs. Irene Peters

We do....in many places--just not enough at Air Canada.

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"A Liberal is someone who refuses to take his own side in a fight".

-Robert Frost

What bothers me about Bombardier is they took a bunch of former crown corporations off the government's hands that were losing the government money but then turned around and asked for loan guarantees and bailouts at every turn--the same type of economic protectionism we see everywhere. This however was not accompanied by guarantees of contracts for say Air CAnada, which has also purchased Embraer's, as well as of course Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

Bombardier also outsourced way more work than it had to to other developed nations. Bombardier also threatened to clos ethe Downsview aircraft manufacturing facility in Toronto, before being threatened by the TTC with a loss of subway car orders should they do so.

This said, as we have helped it along quite a bit, why not now support it and help keep Bombardier alive? Especially when we are helping keep jobs in Canada (essentially Quebec and Ontario I know) at least for now. Bombardier was threatening to close the Thunder Bay plant permanently due to lack of orders. This order will help keep jobs in a shrinking town.

I mean, if Toronto and Montreal don't support Bombardier, who else will? Why not keep the jobs in Canada. The union is just lobbying for influence like any other union or corporation would.


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"A Liberal is someone who refuses to take his own side in a fight".

-Robert Frost