HALIFAX – Bell Aliant’s unionized employees in Atlantic Canada have chosen not to accept a proposed new collective agreement.
After reaching a tentative agreement with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Atlantic Communications Council (CEPACC) in late April, the company said Friday that the current collective agreement will remain in effect until December 31, 2011.
"In our current competitive climate, we believe the proposed agreement offered balance between job security for our employees and the cost stability the company needs to ensure future success," said Bell Aliant president and CEO Karen Sheriff, in a statement. "It’s fair to say that we are disappointed in the results; however, we have said all along that this process was about employees making a choice and they have done that. We will need to move forward on alternative ways of reducing and managing our costs."
After holding ratification meetings over the past few weeks in the four Atlantic provinces, some 3,000 members of Canada’s largest telecommunications union voted to reject the tentative agreement with Bell Aliant by a margin of 65%.
"The members have spoken and we respect their decision," said CEPACC chair Penny Fawcett, in a statement. "We will now work with the employer to consider next steps."
