Unifor uncovers SaskTel plans to send more work out of province

REGINA, SK, June 15, 2023 /CNW/ - For the third time this year Unifor has uncovered a privatization scheme at SaskTel that sends work out of province or to a low-bid non-union firm.

"The Sask Party government seems intent on bleeding all of the good jobs out of SaskTel," said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. "SaskTel was once a local, good job creator. Then Scott Moe and Brad Wall got their hands on it."

The latest contracting out scheme sends union work from the small business media advisors department of SaskTel (formerly Crown corporation DirectWest) to a firm in Manitoba called MidWest Teleservices.

Unifor estimates that over the last several years nearly 1,000 full-time jobs have been reduced to part-time status or contracted out, the majority of which have gone out of province or overseas.

Earlier this year Unifor called out two other privatization schemes at SaskTel.

"The Sask Party is either mismanaging SaskTel when good jobs flee the province, or they are turning a blind eye to privatization that benefits their donors in the private sector," said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director.

Unifor represents 2,700 SaskTel workers from every region in Saskatchewan.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor