This was the first round of negotiations between the thought workers represented by the union and Bell Canada since Unifor was established in 2013. The interim agreement is recommended by the negotiating team for adoption. With an interim agreement between the union and the employer, Unifor members now have the opportunity to vote on the terms of the contract. Members` assemblies and ratification votes are scheduled in the coming weeks. The new collective agreement provides for wage increases, protection from erosion and outsourcing, and adds more than 600 jobs to the collective agreement unit. Over the past decade, employees have witnessed a concerted strategy to reduce staffing levels, resulting in the loss of more than half of the jobs in the collective agreement unit. Unifor members have also had access to paid leave for domestic violence, and 10 female lawyers, union members trained to help and assist people facing sexual and gender-based violence, are being created. Your negotiating committee, with the full support of the negotiating group, began negotiations on the bell clerical agreement on October 3 in Toronto. National President Jerry Dias set the tone for the negotiations by calling for an end to the erosion of quality jobs. Quebec Director Renaud Gagné and Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi spoke forcefully and convincingly about the impact of job cuts on membership and Unifor`s commitment to a fair deal for Bell Clerical members. Stay in touch! Subscribe to UniLINK, Unifor`s national newsletter, for union updates and calls to action. E-Mail-bellclerical@unifor.org with feedback on how the union can communicate during negotiations. Bell`s clerks have built the country`s largest telecommunications company and keep bell customers behind the scenes.
They work hard and deserve job security and fair wages. Toronto – The Unifor union, which represents nearly 5,000 office workers at Bell Canada in Ontario and Quebec, has reached a preliminary agreement. Bell clerics are represented in Quebec by Unifor Locals 6000, 6001, 6002 and 6003 and in Ontario by Unifor Locals 6004, 6005, 6006, 6007, 6008 and 37. All Aboriginal people were represented in the round of negotiations. However, over the past decade, office workers have experienced a concerted workforce reduction strategy, resulting in the loss of thousands of unionized jobs. “This collective agreement shows the kind of profits that can be earned if workers come together and mobilize to defend good union jobs,” said Renaud, the director of Unifor Québec. “Thanks to the solidarity and activism of the members and the work of the union`s bargaining committee, any improvement has been hard earned and deserved.” Watch the latest negotiation update on unifor.org/itstime and share Unifor`s videos and material.