(Montreal) Workers at the aerospace parts manufacturer Delastek have just won average salary increases of 45% over five years in their new contract.

Both the employer Delastek and the union Unifor, affiliated with the FTQ, confirmed the information.

They are 17, Unifor said, and have mainly tasks of aeronautical technicians, said the employer.

These workers voted 100% in favor of the proposed settlement submitted by the conciliator.

In addition to five-year average wage increases of 45%, Unifor reports securing increased shift and training premiums, guaranteed job security for all its members, and the inclusion of new unionized positions. The union also refers to “several other monetary and normative improvements”.

For Unifor, it’s a “major turning point” in labor relations at Delastek, where a strike lasted nearly three years in 2015.

“Since the existence of this certification, relations have always been very difficult and renewals of collective agreements have always been decided by an arbitrator. This is the first time in the history of this company that the parties have managed to reach an agreement on their own,” concluded Steeve St-Pierre, national representative for Unifor Quebec.

The employer expressed satisfaction with the turn of events. “We are very happy that the employees are satisfied, the well-being of the employees is paramount for Delastek”, he said by email.