KINGSTON, Ont. – Unionized telecom workers from Bell Canada will hold a rally in Kingston, Ont., on Tuesday, Dec. 5 to protest Bell’s offshoring and contracting out of jobs.
Unifor members at Expertech, a network installation service provider and subsidiary of Bell, are currently in collective bargaining, “demanding better protection of good union jobs in the telecommunications sector,” says a media advisory about the planned rally.
The craft and clerical workers’ contract expired on Nov. 30, 2023, and Bell has not responded to any of the tabled monetary wage demands from the workers, according to the media advisory. The workers are calling for full-time jobs, equitable wages and benefits that keep up with the pace of inflation, it says.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, telecommunications workers were on the frontlines keeping our communities connected. Despite this, Bell Canada has downsized its workforce and outsourced more and more work. It’s wrong — and it’s time for Bell to negotiate a fair deal for these workers,” Samia Hashi, Unifor’s Ontario regional director, said in a statement.
The workers will hold the rally at Kingston Market Square Hotel starting at 12 p.m. ET and then march to Confederation Park.
Image courtesy of Unifor.
