Bell subsidiary says it needs a few hundred workers to remain on the job in case of a strike or lockout.
Author of the article:
La Presse Canadienne
Lia Lévesque
In a request filed with the Canada Industrial Relations Board, Bell Technical Solutions is seeking an order to maintain essential services if its technicians in Quebec go on strike.
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The union for workers at the Bell subsidiary includes 1,830 workers in Quebec, who install and repair Bell’s services.
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The parties had reached a deal in principle in May, but the union members, affiliated with Unifor, rejected it by a vote of 81 per cent in June.
Fearing a strike, Bell Technical Solutions filed a request with the quasi-judicial federal body to ensure a few hundred workers remain on the job in case of a strike or lockout.
Bell said it wants to keep 323 internet service technicians, 51 technicians for wireline service for clients without internet, 47 technicians for security, and 56 technicians for essential services to repair Bell services at businesses or essential services.
The union said it was ready to deploy workers necessary in case of an urgent situation. But Bell Technical Solutions said such a protocol would not be sufficient.
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The Canada Labour Code defines essential services during a dispute as serving to “prevent an immediate and serious danger to the safety or health of the public.”
Bell Technical Solutions notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned telecommunications into an essential service, with remote work and telephone-based medical appointments, for example.
“Telecommunications services have been considered essential by the federal government and it’s paramount to ensure continuity for public safety,” the company said.
Unifor also sent comments to the board. The parties are awaiting a response.
