Bell MTS Fails to Live Up to Their Promises - TEAM/Local 161 Urges Manitoba Lawmakers to Hold Them Accountable

On May 15, TEAM/IFPTE Local 161’s Board of Directors traveled to the Manitoba Legislative Building to meet with the Opposition Labour Critic Malaya Marcelino and Opposition Environment & Economic Development Critic Mark Wasyliw.

TEAM requested the meeting to discuss the ongoing erosion of good unionized jobs at Bell MTS. The company has systematically been cutting jobs since they took ownership in 2017. Since then work has been moved into urban centers and outside the province, despite Bell’s earlier promise of making Manitoba the company’s Western headquarters.   

At the meeting, TEAM talked about the challenges members are facing in the workplace and how Bell MTS is failing Manitobans. Both Marcelino and Wasyliw expressed interest in the issue and invited the union to keep in touch.

Later that day, Wasyliw followed up with a Twitter message: “Important meeting today TEAM Local 161 a Bell Professional Union. Troubling hearing about economic fallout from PC privatization of MTS. 40% loss of jobs. Many good paying jobs going east. Reason MB has fallen to 7th fastest growing economy in CDN.”

In response, TEAM President Dave Eyolfson said, “I’m pleased with our outreach to MLAs. We have been struggling to get our voices heard by the company with limited success. We’re not going to wait around anymore for Bell to do the right thing. Our members deserve more.”

In the coming weeks, TEAM will be launching a campaign to raise awareness of the overwhelming loss of good jobs and the impact it’s had on Manitoba workers and communities.