TORONTO and MONTREAL, June 18, 2026 /CNW/ - Unifor is once again sounding the alarm on (BCE, Inc., BCE) workforce reductions.
"As we heard at its most recent Shareholders' Meeting, this company has no stated plan for workforce development and retention," said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
"At a time when Canadian corporations should be stepping up to invest in Canada, it continues to barrel forward with cuts, costing families income and security, while continuing to invest heavily in the United States."
The union received notice of approximately 180 job cuts across its bargaining units of Bell Atlantic, Clerical, Sales and BTS Clerical units in Atlantic Canada, Québec and Ontario. To date, the employer is respecting contract obligations on layoff notice and packages.
"Bell continues to cut its workforce while remaining a highly profitable company. Worker's futures should not be mere variables to be leveraged in a race for short-term financial returns," said Unifor Québec Director Daniel Cloutier.
Most of these cuts sit outside negotiated Voluntary Severance Packages (VSPs), which are bargained into some Bell collective agreements, and which allow for members to take early retirement packages when invoked by the employer.
Instead of voluntary packages, the company has notified the union that at least 120 of the workers impacted will be facing layoffs, therefore impacting newer and likely younger workers.
"It's becoming increasingly difficult for Bell workers to picture retirement from this company. Bell used to serve as a beacon, delivering high quality services and good jobs, and now seems to not have an interest in either," continued Payne.
Unifor has advocated for actions to protect jobs, build a more resilient economy, and defend Canadian sovereignty. Find information on the union's asks online.
Unifor is the largest private sector union in Quebec and Canada, representing more than 320,000 members in all sectors of the economy. Unifor fights for the rights of all workers. It also fights for equality and social justice at home and abroad and aspires to bring about progressive change for a better future. In Quebec, Unifor represents nearly 55,000 members and is affiliated to Quebec's largest central labour body, the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ).
SOURCE Unifor
For media inquiries in English please contact Unifor Communications Representative Sarah McCue at [email protected] or at 416-458-3307; For media inquiries in French, contact: Unifor Quebec Communications Representative Véronique Figliuzzi at [email protected].
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