Ericsson and union fight battle over worker jurisdiction

Ericsson AB and the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1944 are locked in a dispute over who should have jurisdiction over field technicians. The company maintains the workers fall under provincial control; the union asserts they are a federal responsibility. “Ericsson is not a telecom under Canadian law; rather it and these particular employees are provincially-regulated,” the company said in a statement to The Wire Report (emphasis in original). “The union does not dispute that Ericsson as a whole is not a federal company. Rather, the union argues that there is ‘derivative jurisdiction’ that makes these particular Ericsson employees fall into federal jurisdiction.” “We absolutely disagree with that,” local president Michael Phillips counters to The Wire Report. “They’re working on telecom infrastructure which is federal and these same technicians used to be employed at Rogers prior to Rogers divesting of this infrastructure. When they were employed at Rogers doing the exact same work, they were federal jurisdiction.” The issue is currently before the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB). The USW has been attempting to unionize 201 workers since July. One hundred of those workers have subsequently been laid off, a move which the Steelworkers call union busting. The company denies those allegations. The jobs of the 100 laid-off employees are heading to India. Ericsson defends the move as necessary. “The jobs are being distributed across Ericsson’s global service delivery units,” its statement to The Wire Report explained. “As we let staff know on Sept. 8, 2025, we are transitioning some of our managed service delivery from Canada to our global service delivery units.” On Oct. 31, the date the layoffs took effect, NDP interim leader Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, B.C.) issued a news release decrying the action by the Swedish telecom manufacturer. He called on the federal cabinet to defend the employees. “Canadians expect their government to fight for them, but we have seen this government fight against workers time and time again,” he said in the statement. “This trend needs to end now, as this move not only hurts our economy, it also threatens our national security.” Davies blamed the union drive for the layoffs. “Workers should be free to organize and fight for better work conditions without fear of seeing their jobs shipped off to foreign countries,” his statement continued. “New Democrats are calling on Industry Minister Mélanie Joly to protect these jobs and defend Canada.” Phillips said the union was happy the NDP has come to its defence. He also pointed out that the Conservative Party has rallied to the union’s cause. “The decision to offshore critical network operations would transfer control of core wireless functions outside Canada, raising urgent concerns about national security, data protection and the loss of skilled Canadian jobs,” industry critic Raquel Danko (Kildonan-St. Paul, Man.) and labour critic Kyle Seeback (Dufferin-Caledon, Ont.) stated in a Tory news release. “We urge Minister Joly to take steps to suspend Ericsson’s offshoring plan under national security provisions and review telecom network operations to ensure Canadians retain control over sovereign infrastructure.” ppark@thewirereport.ca

Ericsson and union fight battle over worker jurisdiction

Telecom |
By Paul Park
|November 3, 2025

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Ericsson and union fight battle over worker jurisdiction

Telecom | By Paul Park |November 3, 2025

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Independent oversight, guardrails needed in new cybersecurity bill, Privacy, Intelligence Commissioners tell MPs

Steelworkers end strike in Abbotsford against Rogers

Cogeco’s revenue, profits decline but company expecting better days as MVNO grows

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Telecom |
By Paul Park
|November 3, 2025