Dear Members,

During the week of April 11-15, your bargaining committee worked through multiple items and prioritized making a clear presentation of the membership’s position on teleworking.  In our region, approximately 550 members are deemed to be remote or mobile, while others have been directed to return to the office with no recourse based on a policy (Bell Workways) that is entirely employer-directed.

As a reminder, Bell owns its policies, which are only limited by language we negotiate into the collective agreement and/or applicable laws.

In the lead up to negotiations, members made it abundantly clear that teleworking is a high priority. Your bargaining team believes that this is a major component of your future working conditions, and the union must be able to negotiate fair language to protect members.

The company indicated last week that they are not yet willing to commit to teleworking language in the collective agreement. Together, Unifor members will change their mind.

The Unifor ACL Bargaining Committee is coordinating mobilization efforts with Bell Clerical workers in Ontario and Quebec. Together, we represent nearly 6,000 members. Your Mobilization committee will be reaching out early next week with our next activity.

Our next scheduled bargaining dates are April 26-28 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we will have our first in person bargaining session with the company.

Some of our members have asked for more information regarding issues being discussed at the bargaining table.  We must remind everyone that we are unable to share specific details of bargained elements until we reach a Tentative Agreement.

Thank you for your support and solidarity. Your bargaining committee will continue to communicate updates throughout the negotiations.

In solidarity,

Bell Atlantic Bargaining Committee

TORONTO– Unifor’s Ontario Regional Director and Human Rights Director wrote to Ontario Premier to demand the province immediately adopt the ONDP’s Bill-86, Our London Family Act.

“By refusing to support Bill 86 in the legislature last week, Ford revealed that his party and government does not consider the safety and well-being of Muslims in Ontario to be an imminent priority,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director.

Unifor strongly supports and encourages members to support the proposals and amendments proposed in Bill-86. The union believes the Bill takes meaningful and concrete steps towards tackling hate and Islamophobia in key policy areas.

These key areas include greater restrictions against any political party or public rallies/demonstrations promoting hate against identifiable groups, new tools and strategies to combat racism in the public education system, annual anti-racism training for frontline workers in public organizations, establishing an Ontario Anti-Racism Advisory and Advocacy Council and creating safe zones around religious institutions.

“The Premier still has time to show Ontarians that racism and Islamophobia have no place in the province. Ontarians of all religious beliefs are urging the Premier to immediately pass Bill-86 before the dissolution of the legislature and the upcoming provincial election, said Christine Maclin, Unifor Director of Human Rights.

In a letter to the Premier, Rizvi and Maclin asked the Premier to change course and adopt this life-saving piece of legislation.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.