Representing 1,300 Manitoba Workers
More MTS Jobs Contracted Out
When Manitobans call 411 in the future, they will no longer be speaking to an MTS employee. MTS Allstream made the announcement to its operators on January 11 that it will be outsourcing all 411 directory calls by April of this year. The decision of where the work will go has not yet been determined, according to MTS.
The company's move to contract out the 411 service affects 17 full time operator positions in Winnipeg and Brandon, although the company will take steps to move the affected operators to other areas of the company. Language in the collective agreement, secured through a lengthy lockout of the members in 1999, prevents MTS from laying any employees off where the company opts to contract out work.
"To the union, this is just one more example of Manitoba's homegrown telecommunications business trying to satisfy shareholders - many of whom do not reside in Manitoba - instead of ensuring either that Manitoba residents receive high level service or that decent full time jobs remain in this province," said Diane Shaver, President of Local 7.
"The company recently made promises that it wanted to concentrate on its "core business". If 411 Directory Service is not part of MTS' core business, I can only imagine what part of MTS' business it will shed itself of tomorrow", said Ms. Shaver. "This decision is short sighted and disappointing."
Earlier in the same week during which the 411 outsourcing announcement was made, CEP employees at MTS marked the 10th Anniversary of the privatization of MTS by wearing black ribbons. In October, 2006, MTS Allstream sold off its directory business to the Yellow Pages Group.