Ontario Freedom Mobile employees vote to join USW

Union set to survey employees before collective bargaining

After an organizing campaign, Freedom Mobile workers in Windsor, Ont., have voted to join the United Steelworkers (USW).

Freedom Mobile — previously known as Wind Mobile — was purchased in 2015 by Shaw Communications for $1.6 billion. The 187 employees in Windsor work in Freedom's customer care call centre.

The vote was conducted on Jan. 19 and Jan. 21 by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, said the union.

Next steps will include a survey of all employees to gather input on collective bargaining priorities and the election of a negotiating committee in preparation for bargaining, according to the union.

"We are excited to work with these new members as Freedom Mobile grows and expands," said Lee Riggs, president of the Telecommunications Workers Union, United Steelworkers National Local 1944, which represents more than 12,000 workers in the telecommunications sector across Canada.

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