News
Bell laying off 300 at Mirabel, part of global downsizing
April 30, 2015 By CBC News
April 30, 2015, Mirabel, Que. - Bell Helicopter is planning about 300 layoffs at its plant in Mirabel, Que., as part of a global downsizing that will see 1,100 jobs lost.
Bell Helicopter recently won a $156-million contract to build helicopters for the Canadian coast guard on top of a $172-million coast guard order placed in 2014.
The federal government promoted the awarding of a sole-source contract to Bell as a way of creating jobs in Canada.
The Texas-based company says an expected decrease in the production
of military helicopters, combined with a failure of the commercial
market to rebound, has forced it to review its cost structure.
"Across the industry, global commercial orders and deliveries in the
medium market continue to be significantly below forecast," the company
said in a news release Tuesday.
Layoffs will affect all employees, union and non-union, management
and staff with notices to be handed out between now and the summer.
A company spokeswoman said the number of layoffs in Montreal might be
slightly less than 300 if some employees take a voluntary severance
package.
