Some Bell MTS employees in Brandon face choice: Relocate to Winnipeg or take buyout

Bell MTS is moving many jobs currently in Brandon to Winnipeg, a move that its union says effectively results in layoffs for nearly 30 people

Jackie Prynne, president of Unifor Local 7 which includes Bell MTS members, says about 30 clerical representatives in Brandon have been given the option to either relocate to Winnipeg or take an enhanced voluntary retirement package.

"These are Brandon residents that just happened to work at Bell. Some of them have been there 35 years … some of them are young families," Prynne said. "They're not in a position to … relocate to Winnipeg.

"It's an absolute 100 per cent upheaval of their lives."

Prynne says the offer was made around Feb. 21 without warning to employees, adding the jobs ending in Brandon will not be replaced.

The union doesn't see any reason to force workers to relocate Winnipeg, she says, pointing out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, they worked at home. As well, the Bell MTS building in Brandon will remain operational.

Staff have 30 days to decide whether they want to relocate or take the buyout package. Prynne says this has created a lot of pressure on members because it's a life-changing decision that affects their families.

The job changes are not being called forced layoffs but voluntary retirements where staff are offered a payment package to walk away from their job, she says. Union members were told Bell MTS would like to keep all call centres under the same umbrella in Winnipeg in what Prynne calls a consolidation.

In an email statement, Bell MTS said the jobs are part of a workforce reduction across the company. This reduction includes the consolidation of Brandon and Winnipeg's "customer experience team members." 

In February Bell Media's parent company, BCE Inc., announced it was cutting nine per cent of its workforce. The company announced in an open letter signed by chief executive Mirko Bibic that 4,800 jobs "at all levels of the company" would be cut.

Brandon employees have been given the option to relocate to Winnipeg by this summer, Bell MTS told CBC News.

"Bell is consolidating its Manitoba customer experience centres to one location in Winnipeg to facilitate better support for team members with increased infrastructure and leadership available on site," the spokesperson said.

Bell did not confirm how many jobs are affected.

Speaking with the Brandon employees "was grim. It was sad ... they're upset," Prynne said.

Bell purchased MTS in 2017 and since then Unifor membership has been nearly cut in half, dropping to about 540 members from about 1,000, Prynne says. 

Unifor executive will be at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 19 in an effort to secure better packages for affected staff. Prynn says the outcome will vary by province as Bell employees have different collective agreements.

The fight is still early so the union is organizing and trying to figure out options for those affected, she says.

Prynne says employees haven't signed any non-disclosure agreements, and there are no gag orders. However, she says, there's not a lot they can say. 

"At the end of the day they were offered a package. They can take it or not take it or they can relocate. Their hands are tied," Prynne said. "It is devastating. I'm sick for these people."