Steelworkers protest in Montreal against Telus "disguised dismissal"

A crowd of Steelworkers union members gathered outside the Montreal offices of Telus on Saturday to protest the "disguised dismissal" of more than a hundred workers. Photo of Telus offices in Ottawa on August 4, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Members of the United Steelworkers union gathered outside the Montreal offices of Telus on Saturday to protest what they consider to be the "disguised dismissal" of over a hundred workers.

On July 9, 150 Telus employees in Ontario were told that their Ontario office would be closed and that they would have to report to the Montreal office three days a week or lose their jobs.

The company ended its remote work policy last month, with the changes set to take effect in September. While most employees have been able to work from home since the start of the pandemic, some have had this privilege for more than 15 years, the union says.

"Telus keeps offshoring jobs abroad and now, all of a sudden, it's no longer possible to work remotely? It's ridiculous," Dominic Lemieux, the Quebec director of the United Steelworkers (USW), said in a press release.

According to the union, the company has more than 80,000 employees abroad. A year ago, the telecommunications company cut 6,000 jobs, including 4,000 in Canada.

-This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 3, 2024.