THUNDER BAY — In a move that's seen as a disappointment for workers at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay, the Toronto Transit Commission has put a potential order for hundreds of new subway cars on hold.
The TTC first issued a request for proposals for 480 cars in October 2022.
Alstom Transport Canada was one of only four manufacturers that pre-qualified to submit bids, with the other three being based in South Korea, Japan and China.
The July 2023 closing date for submissions was subsequently changed to the end of September, but in June the TTC sent a notice to the interested parties that it was cancelling the RFP effective immediately because it had not secured required funding from the Ontario and federal governments for the $2.3 billion project.
The same notice pointed out that the RFP had noted that a contract award was subject to receiving full funding commitments.
So far, only the City of Toronto has agreed to contribute $624 million for the new cars.
A TTC spokesperson told TBnewswatch Monday that "discussions are ongoing" with the two senior governments, and that once funding is secured, a new RFP will be posted.
The then-president of Unifor Local 1075 at the local plant, Dominic Pasqualino, said last fall that Alstom officials had indicated that if the company won the contract, at least some of the work would go to Thunder Bay.
Pasqualino, who has since retired, described the job as vital for the future of the plant, which he said only had enough confirmed work to keep it operating until 2025.
The new president of Local 1075, Justin Roberts, could not be reached Monday for comment.
Negotiations on a new collective agreement between the union and Alstom are scheduled to get underway later in August.
