June 17, 2020

TORONTO – This week’s announcement that Marriott International will delay plans to complete renovations and re-open its Yorkville location as a W Hotel citing the COVID-19 pandemic will not affect unionized jobs, Unifor has ascertained.

“As the worst effects of the pandemic may be behind us and workplaces begin to re-open, the last thing we want is for workers to find they have no job to come back to,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “We knew this renovation would be lengthy and were sure to protect our members’ job security in the event of delays, changes, or, as it turns out, emergencies that would halt the project.”

In July of last year, Marriott announced it would undertake a $40 million redevelopment project that will transform its current Marriott property located in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood in to the first W Hotel in Canada. The development plans involve a significant upgrade to the property, particularly in its food and beverage services and a near-doubling of unionized hotel jobs at the site.

Marriott International, Inc.’s announcement to delay the re-opening of the hotel property adds to the difficulties workers in the hospitality industry have already faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  However, Unifor’s collective agreement provisions put in place last year provide essential protections for hospitality workers including:

• guarantees that the employer could not convert the property to condominiums;
• prevention of any subcontracting of union members’ work;
• elimination of incentives to refuse housekeeping service with harmful programs such as the ‘Green Choice;’
• protections of workers’ fundamental rights to return to their jobs after lengthy renovations.

“The bottom line is that no matter how long it takes to complete the W Hotel’s renovations, existing workers are guaranteed the right to return to their old job or a comparable job, without having to reapply,” said Dias.

As hospitality workers continue to face some of the most devastating layoffs across the country, Unifor continues to engage with all levels of government to advocate for necessary supports to workers affected by the pandemic including expanding direct financial assistance programs as well as providing pharmacare for all.

Bell Let’s Talk donation kicks off fundraising campaign

Montréal, June 16, 2020 – Revivre, a leader in the field of mental health, is going digital with the launch of virtual services to help meet growing demand for mental health support while respecting social distancing measures linked to COVID‑19, supported by a new fundraising campaign SolidaiRevivre. Thanks to a commitment of $650,000 from Bell Let’s Talk and the support of many other stakeholders, including National Bank, Echo Foundation, Fondation Casse-Tête, Hewitt Foundation, and Power Corporation of Canada, the campaign is well on its way to achieving its $3,000,000 goal.

Revivre’s virtual service offering:

• Workshops based on e-learning and on-line interventions – both individual and group – using interactive tools
• Developed using Revivre’s in-house expertise with the support of mental health researchers
• Based on the concept of self-management support, empowering people to assume responsibility for their own health to:
  • Reduce symptoms
  • Prevent relapses
  • Improve their day-to-day well-being
  • Available in French and English

Quickly offer clinically validated tools to all who need them

Every year, 1.6 million Canadians report having unmet mental health needs. This figure is increasing as the current health and economic crisis is causing growing numbers of people to experience insecurity, uncertainty, and grief. At the same time, social distancing rules now in place make it impossible to hold face-to-face meetings and workshops. The use of digital technology will enable Revivre to safely offer much-needed support to more Canadians during the pandemic as well as during the ensuing mental health crisis.

Workplaces with growing needs

As employees see their working conditions change the need for mental health support is also growing in the workplace. Unfortunately, during this time of crisis, few companies have the means to invest in the mental health of their staff. Revivre’s virtual services will help them provide the necessary tools to support their employees and managers.

Read full article here

• Initial 5G service now in Montréal, GTA, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver
• Enhanced mobile data speeds on the largest selection of 5G smartphones available
• Research partnership with Western University supports Canada’s 5G innovation ecosystem

MONTRÉAL, June 11, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ – Bell today announced the launch of Canada’s largest 5G wireless network, offering unprecedented mobile data speeds and Canada’s broadest selection of 5G-capable smartphones.

Now available in Montréal, the Greater Toronto Area, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, Bell’s initial 5G service will expand to more centres across the country as the next-generation wireless technology grows in speed and capacity, enabling unprecedented connectivity and an infinite range of new consumer and business mobile applications in coming years. To accelerate 5G innovation in Canada, Bell has also partnered with Western University to create an advanced 5G research centre, including the deployment of a campus-wide 5G network.

“Bell has built the country’s best networks since 1880 with a goal to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world, and we’re proud to take the next step forward with the country’s largest 5G network,” said Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada. “As the world rapidly embraces the Fifth Generation of wireless, Bell is ready to ensure Canada remains at the forefront of 5G innovation and accessibility. The COVID-19 crisis has clearly underscored the critical importance of high-quality networks to keeping consumers, businesses and governments connected and informed, and Bell remains committed to building the best as we take wireless into the next generation.”

Championing the 5G customer experience
“With 5G coverage that is 6 times greater than the next largest network, the biggest selection of 5G-capable devices available and faster data speeds than even our award-winning Advanced LTE network, Bell Mobility has once again raised the bar in Canadian wireless,” said Claire Gillies, President of Bell Mobility. “As the scale, speed and capabilities of our next-generation network continue to grow, Bell Mobility will champion the 5G customer experience in every part of our business.”

Bell 5G customers in Montréal, the GTA, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver will have access to enhanced mobile data speeds and faster response times, as well as seamless connections to Bell’s national LTE network – which reaches 99% of the Canadian population and already offers data speeds that independent analysts have found rank with the fastest in the world.

Bell offers Canada’s largest selection of 5G-enabled smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S20 5G series, LG V60 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen and Motorola Edge+, all for as low as $0 upfront with Bell SmartPay. 5G access is $10 a month on any Bell Mobility postpaid plan and is currently offered as a free bonus until March 31, 2021. For more about Bell 5G, please visit Bell.ca/5G.

Enabling Canada’s 5G innovation
The high capacity and near instant connections offered by mobile 5G will support a virtually unlimited range of new consumer and business applications in coming years, including virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning, connected vehicles, smart cities and enhanced rural access, and unprecedented IoT opportunities for business and government enterprises.

The first company to trial mobile 5G technology in Canada, Bell is working with a range of leading global and domestic 5G partners, including Ericsson and Nokia, to accelerate Canada’s 5G innovation ecosystem. This includes continued funding of R&D at Canadian institutions, such as the partnership announced today between Western University and Bell to create a new academic centre for research into 5G applications across health, agriculture, transportation, manufacturing and other sectors. On the international stage, Bell is a leader in the setting of global 5G standards with our participation in the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) consortium and Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP).

Bell invests more in Canadian communications R&D than any other company, part of our approximately $4 billion capital investment annually in the nation’s wireless and fibre network infrastructure. These investments have ensured Canadians already enjoy the fastest wireless connections in the world – independent studies have found Canada’s 4G LTE networks rank with the fastest globally, far outpacing the United States and even rivalling the data speeds of initial 5G networks already available in countries like South Korea.

https://www.bce.ca/news-and-media/releases/show/Bell-launches-Canada-s-largest-5G-wireless-network-1?page=1&month=&year=&perpage=25