Telus is closing its Ontario contact centre in Barrie, affecting more than 150 employees.
And the telecommunications giant has informed its Ontario-based call centre employees they must relocate by October, apply for another role or agree to be laid off.
United Steelworkers Local 1944, the union representing the workers, says it was informed Tuesday that affected employees would have the option of working in Montreal, calling it a “back-door termination” by Telus in an attempt to reduce the company's head count.
“They will be closing it, but since 2020 almost all of our employees have been working from home, full-time,” Local 1944 president Michael Phillips said.
“So, the broad context of what’s happening is they’re telling all of their call centre employees across the country that they need to report in at the office now for the first time since 2020, three days a week, instead of working full-time from home — but the exception is Ontario, where there is no office now to come back to." said Phillips.
“So they’re calling everybody back to their original offices except in Ontario and they’re saying the only office you can report to is in Montreal,” Phillips said. “The kind of disingenuous part is they are saying they are hoping that people don’t leave their job, but they need to report to another province, so it seems like kind of a back-door termination.”
Phillips said Telus is saying this affects about 150 employees, but he said it’s between 150 and 200. He said they are mainly full-time employees who are earning in the high 20s or low 30s in dollars per hour.
"They do client care and cancellations for Telus customers, but not on the business end, just on the consumer end," said Phillips, noting the office address is 320 Bayfield St.
“It’s funny how the company is announcing it as an office closure, when folks haven’t reported there in many years,” Phillips said.
Telus could not be reached for comment.
The Barrie closure is part of a reorganization announced internally Wednesday, which will require approximately 1,000 call centre employees across the country, who have been working remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic began, to return to the office three days a week.
But Telus says the customer service agents won't have a local office to return to because it is closing its Barrie location, which housed its Ontario contact centre, "following a thoughtful review of our real estate."
Telus spokeswoman Brandi Merker says those who accept relocation will receive financial support, while the voluntary separation package being offered exceeds the requirements of the Canada Labour Code.
Phillips said the financial package includes 18 months of wages, plus possible bonuses based on seniority.
The Vancouver-based Telus announced last August it was cutting 6,000 jobs in order to adapt to a ‘rapidly transforming industry,’ saying issues such as regulation and competition had prompted the need to reduce its payroll.
-- With files by The Canadian Press
