The Quebec Tramway contract comes at the right time: contentment and pride in La Bocatière

The assembly of Quebec’s tramways, which could begin as early as 2025, comes just in time to “consolidate” and create jobs at the Alstom plant in La Boucatere, CSN estimates.

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It’s not a surprise, but it’s still good news,” Marco Levesque, president of the 230 workers’ union, said Friday.

The latter commented on the fact that Alstom is on track to secure a contract to build Quebec streetcars.

“Of course it will enhance the jobs we currently have. It is important to preserve the expertise of our world. It will bring in more employees. How much for it? It is difficult to say. But when you have a more stable factory like that, it is easier to recruit quality employees,” added Mr. Levesque.

According to him, there is a certain logic in building the Quebec tramway at a factory located less than an hour and a half from the Capitale Nationale. “It’s our money that’s flowing in. It’s good for the city and the whole region.”

Similar thinking on the part of the Mayor of La Bocatere, Vincent Perubi. In addition to the great economic benefits of the futures contract, the latter emphasized the “sense of pride” that drives the Pocatois.

“Even today, when people from La Bocatière go to Montreal, they say they worked on the metro with Bombardier. It will be the same for a Quebec streetcar in 40 or 50 years. There’s a great story there and it carries some durability,” he gloats.

Currently, workers on La Pocatière are working on three separate contracts to carry out “sub-assemblies” for the New Jersey Metro, Toronto Streetcar Line, and Vancouver SkyTrain.

We believe that the assembly of Quebec’s streetcars could begin within two years. “He will replace another contract, which will expire by then,” trade unionist Marco Levesque said.

In addition to the 230 unionized workers whose collective agreement is valid until October 2026, the La Boucatere factory employs 207 white-collar workers. The Quebec Tramway is to be designed and engineered at Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville in Monterjey. The rally will take place at La Pocatière.