Nordia Employees in Lindsay Join Steelworkers

LINDSAY, ON, Sept. 7, 2016 /CNW/ - Employees of the Nordia Lindsay call centre have decided to join the United Steelworkers (USW) union.

An overwhelming majority of Nordia Lindsay employees – 71% – voted in favour of joining the USW, rejecting an intense anti-union campaign waged by the company over several weeks. A total of 111 employees at the call centre are now members of the USW.

The Lindsay employees become the fourth group of Nordia workers who have joined the Steelworkers. Employees at Nordia call centres in Kitchener, Quebec City and Sherbrooke, Que., also are USW members. A wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Canada, Nordia operates call centres that provide services and support to Bell customers.

"Nordia Lindsay employees voted to join the Steelworkers after seeing what their unionized colleagues have at other sites – a productive relationship with management based on collective agreements that ensure fairness and equal treatment for everyone," said USW Ontario Director Marty Warren.

"USW members at other Nordia locations have negotiated collective agreements that recognize their contributions to the company's success and that ensure they share in that success through fair wages, benefits and working conditions," Warren said.

"Nordia Lindsay employees will now be able to negotiate their own collective agreement to address their needs and ensure fairness in their workplace," he added. "Our union and our new members at Nordia Lindsay are anxious to negotiate their first collective agreement to a build a stronger and more productive relationship for employees and the company."

After voting to join the Steelworkers, the Nordia Lindsay employees received messages of congratulations from some of their non-union colleagues at the Nordia Peterborough call centre. Nordia Peterborough employees are currently involved in their own organizing campaign to join the USW.

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

Marty Warren, USW Ontario Director, 416-243-8792; Denis Dallaire, USW Staff Representative, 705-698-5830, [email protected]; Bob Gallagher, USW Communications, 416-544-5966, 416-434-2221, [email protected]