The Videotron Employees’ Union is concerned that jobs in Western Canada are better protected than jobs in Quebec, as part of the transaction between Rogers, Shaw and Videotron.
As part of this global transaction, to obtain all the required authorizations, the companies had to make commitments regarding the establishment of a head office in Calgary and the creation of jobs in Western Canada.
However, such commitments to maintain or even create jobs in Quebec have not been made, deplores the local section concerned of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the FTQ.
Union president Nick Mingione sees this as “inequity,” especially since the outsourcing of jobs is a disputed issue between the employer and the union in the Gatineau region.
“We are being asked for major concessions, in particular to accept unlimited subcontracting, while the company uses subcontractors abroad. This is unacceptable,” he said.
For the Montreal region, this question of subcontracting “is still fairly well defined”, specifies the president of the union.
“We, what we would like is to have a guarantee, to reassure us that we will not lose jobs to the detriment of the investments” which must be made within the framework of this transaction, summarized Mr. Mingione.
The union would also like to meet the federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, François-Philippe Champagne, “to be reassured” about jobs.
Mr. Mingione also argues that the federal government has a role to play in passing federal anti-scab legislation “to […] give [au syndicat] tools to be able to negotiate as equals” with the employer.
In a press release released the day before, Videotron said it was proud of the acquisition of Freedom Mobile, which will “sustainably transform the Canadian wireless market for the benefit of consumers who, in this new context of healthy competition that [l’entreprise propose]will have access to innovative products and services at better prices”.