Electric Lion | The union enters Saint-Jérôme

Collective negotiations await Lion Électrique, which is still counting its money. Recent waves of layoffs at the manufacturer of school buses and electric trucks have prompted several hundred workers to opt for unionization.

According to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), which initiated the action, some 300 employees at the Saint-Jérôme plant in the Laurentians are affected. The union is now turning its attention to the company’s other plants in Quebec, including those located in Mirabel (battery packs) and Joliet, Illinois.

“There is no question of stopping there,” says IAMAW Canadian General Vice President David Chartrand. “We already have many supporters at the Joliet plant.”

The decision of the Administrative Labor Court, which has just been rendered, does not specify the result of the vote which was held at the end of May. According to the document, which La Presse was able to consult, there was no room for interpretation.

“After verifying the circumstances surrounding the vote, there is no reason to doubt the validity of the results of the vote,” it reads.

At the time of writing, Lion had not commented on the turn of events. Under severe financial pressure, the Quebec manufacturer has carried out some 370 layoffs and layoffs on both sides of the border since last fall.

Lion has around 1,150 employees.

As of March 31, only US$5 million remained in the Quebec company’s reserves. The company says it has not yet reaped the rewards of difficult decisions made in recent months – workforce reductions and the implementation of a weight loss regime to reduce expenses.

The company will now have to prepare to negotiate a first employment contract with some 300 employees at the Saint-Jérôme factory who assemble its school buses and electric trucks, a process which should begin later this summer.

On the Toronto Stock Exchange, Lion’s stock is trading at $1.22. The stock is down about 47% since the start of the year.