Telecom unions float amendment to Liberal major projects bill

A coalition of unions representing telecommunications workers is worried the Liberal government’s major projects bill could worsen Canadian sovereignty over the country’s information networks. The Canadian Telecommunications Workers Alliance (CTWA) submitted comments to a special parliamentary committee studying the omnibus Building Canada Strong Act, also known as Bill C-39, that questioned the impact of proposed changes allowing Ottawa to end strikes in federally regulated industries, like telecoms. “The CTWA objects to expanding ministerial discretion to intervene in lawful strikes – that are temporary, by definition – in the name of the national interest,” wrote the group. “By contrast, the continued erosion of domestic telecommunications capacity enabled by the lack of parameters in Canadian legislation continues to impose ever-increasing risks to the national interest.” The CTWA emphasized the number of Canadian telecoms workers has fallen continuously since 2018 as the sector shed more than 20,000 jobs (nearly 20 per cent of the workforce), which the unions largely attribute to offshoring positions to other countries. “Canadian telecommunications networks increasingly rely on work performed by overseas workers governed by foreign laws and labour standards,” read the CTWA submission. “If the government considers the withdrawal of Canadian labour a potential threat to the national interest, what action plan will the federal government implement to address the growing dependence on foreign labour beyond the direct reach of Canadian laws?” Various Canadian telcos, including BCE Inc.’s Bell, Telus Corp., Rogers Communications Inc., and Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron, have been accused of offshoring jobs to cut costs in recent years. As such, the CTWA called for an amendment to C-39 that would update the Telecommunications Act with language that requires companies to “use Canadian workforce located in Canada to build, operate, maintain, secure and restore transmission facilities for telecommunications within Canada and between Canada and points outside Canada.” “The Telecommunications Act was enacted for the first time at the beginning of the 1990’s and therefore has no objectives pertaining to employment,” wrote the group. “Internet was still a niche network at the time, and telecommunications jobs could not be moved outside of the country. That is not the case anymore.” “Since the CRTC has no labour objective to implement in the Act, they have no mandate to monitor and no power to ensure sufficient Canadian employment levels in the national interest of Canada, its economy, security and sovereignty.” Industry Minister Mélanie Joly’s (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.) office did not immediately respond to The Wire Report’s request for comment. C-39 has cleared second reading in the House of Commons and is currently being studied in committee. The bill has faced staunch opposition from labour, environmental, and Indigenous groups, as well as opposition parties, though it is expected to become law with support from the Liberals’ parliamentary majority. The CTWA was formed earlier this year by Unifor, the United Steelworkers, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees and represents more than 32,000 telecom workers across the country. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Telecom unions float amendment to Liberal major projects bill

Telecom |
By Davis Legree
|October 28, 2026

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Telecom unions float amendment to Liberal major projects bill

Telecom | By Davis Legree |October 28, 2026

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By Davis Legree
|October 28, 2026