OTTAWA and NEWMARKET – Striking Entourage workers will picket the constituency office of Belinda Stronach, the Minister responsible for Human Resources and Development Canada, tomorrow (Thursday) beginning at 9 a.m.
The technicians, members of the 162,000 strong Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, “have evidence that HRDC is helping Bell recruit scab labour in order to break the strike,” says the press release announcing tomorrow’s photo-op.
The 1,400 workers walked off the job near the end of March. Entourage is the technical repair, installation and maintenance division of Bell Canada.
A copy of a letter sent to Minister Stronach on the issue is as follows:
21 June 2005
The Honourable Belinda Stronach
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
House of Commons
OTTAWA On K1A 0A6
Honourable Minister,
This letter is to bring to your attention a matter of some urgency involving the misuse of public resources by your department which has, either deliberately or inadvertently, been recruiting employees for Bell Canada to help break a legal strike by 1400 members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.
By way of background, CEP telephone installation and repair technicians employed by Bell Subco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Canada, have been on legal strike across Ontario since March 24th.
As part of its effort to break our resolve and defeat our legitimate goal of wage and benefit equality, Bell has been recruiting outside workers to perform the jobs normally done by CEP members. This alone, in our view, is a violation of the spirit of the Canada Labour Code which fosters free collective bargaining and Bell’s actions underscore the necessity for your government to enact anti-scab legislation.
More immediately, though, we have discovered that HRSDC, through its job posting web site, is aiding and abetting Bell in the odious practice. We hereby request that you order your department officials to put an immediate end to this practice and would appreciate action within 48 hours.
We also believe that HRSDC is recruiting employees for several other companies hired by Bell to perform struck work; specifically, Sky-Tech, Boyce Telecommunications, and Tri-Crest, all of which are seeking to hire installation and repair technicians. Your urgent action on this matter would also be appreciated.
I am ready, willing and able to meet you and your officials at any time to provide any further data you may require.
Yours truly,
Bob Huget,
Administrative Vice President,
CEP Ontario Region
