BTS Membership Communication – WHI

BTS Information Bulletin -WHI

UPDATE ON WIRELESS HOME INTERNET (WHI) MARKET WORK

Brothers and Sisters,

Our Committee is pleased to inform you that Bell has confirmed with Unifor that they will be REPATRIATING their WIRELESS HOME INTERNET (WHI) market work. Bell Technical Solutions in  Ontario and Quebec will receive a significant amount of that work in the coming months as Bell releases their current contractor base moving forward.

This is great news for the Union and our bargaining unit as it represents a significant increase to our work load which will ultimately provide more hours of work for employees, both part-time and full-time and will hopefully drive further growth though hiring in the workplace which will lead to more upgrades and workforce stability in general.

As you know Unifor has been fighting for this work since the day Bell announced and executed their initial plans to roll this product line to a projected 1.2 million customers, utilizing non-unionized contractors across the board. Unifor, over the past two years working behind the scenes, as well as with our Committee and members across Canada have fought to bring this work back home where it belongs with unionized workers of the Bell Family. This announcement from Bell and Unifor is tremendously positive news for our bargaining unit in a year that has been fraught with issues and unrest, in addition to the current world Covid-19 Pandemic.

We have been informed that training on the WIRELESS HOME INTERNET (WHI) will commence relatively quickly as contractors in Ontario are phased out. The work is expected to officially transfer to Bell Technical Solutions in the month of March 2021 but we will likely assume some of the work before. We will advise locals as more information becomes available to us. Watch for similar announcements from the employer as well to stay informed .

This is fantastic news for us as the end of the year approaches, and without a doubt will signify a great start for 2021. In closing we would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a safe and happy 2020 /2021 holiday season.

In Solidarity

Your Bargaining Committee