Bell layoffs could lead to dozens of Manitoba job cuts

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This article was published 28/02/2025 (274 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bell’s decision to circulate 1,200 voluntary severance packages could lead to dozens of Manitoba job cuts.

The telecommunications business confirmed it was conducting an “enhanced voluntary separation program” for up to 1,200 unionized employees across Canada.

“For us, this has become an annual thing,” said Erin Spencer, spokeswoman for TEAM – IFPTE Local 161.

The union represents more than 400 Manitobans working at Bell. Seventy of those roles could end following this round of packages, Spencer said. Staff in departments from IT to marketing have received the payout option.

IBEW Local 435 represents Bell’s skilled trade workers in Manitoba; Unifor Local 7 covers clerical staff. It’s unclear how many workers will be affected, employees at both unions shared.

“I will not know the loss until the most recent offer … closes and Bell makes the determination of how many of the volunteers they will take,” Jackie Prynne, president of Unifor Local 7, wrote in a statement.

Staff have 30 days to take the package. If severance targets aren’t met, layoffs will likely happen, Spencer explained.

Bell has offered an “enhanced incentive” which is good for workers nearing retirement, Spencer said, declining to give details.

The packages are the most robust Bell Canada has ever offered. It “exceeds by far” Canada Labour Code requirements, said Bell spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis. Eligible staff can retire or pursue new careers, she added.

“At the end of the day, the jobs are being eliminated,” Spencer said. “Obviously, we would like to see these jobs stay.”

TEAM – IFPTE Local 161 has seen more than 300 of its Manitoba members’ jobs cut since Bell bought MTS in 2017. The vast majority of former employees — around 275 — took voluntary severance packages. Twenty-eight were laid off, Spencer said.

Unifor Local 7 has clocked a 100-member reduction since 2017. Prynne points to voluntary retirement packages and no new hires.

“Manitoba no longer sells our own products,” Prynne stated.

New hires and internal postings have “decreased dramatically,” Spencer relayed.

“We were told the work of the jobs being reduced here (following the February announcement), from our unit, will not be done (or) performed anymore,” she added.

Bell introduced the recent severance program because Canada’s telecommunications industry faces “unprecedented challenges” and the business is changing, Michelis wrote. Initiatives like moving customers to a fibre network have led to reduced workloads and fewer positions, she continued.

The severance program is available until March 21, per an IBEW Local 435 memo. It’s the latest of Bell’s job reductions, following cumulative cuts affecting more than 6,000 positions.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com