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Fwd: Call Bell. Raise Hell

Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 14:39:28 -0500
From: Gary Cwitco <gary@cep.ca>
Subject: Call Bell. Raise Hell



January 28, 1999


Dear Friends,

Call Bell. Raise Hell.

   "A greed-motivated sellout and a callous response to the employee's
efforts to gain pay equity" is how the union representing Bell Canada
workers reacted to the company's decision to abandon its mostly women
telephone operators by selling their jobs to an American call centre
business.

   An outraged Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union President,
Fred Pomeroy, noted that Bell made $852 million in profits and paid its CEO
$17 million in 1997. Profits for 1998 will top $900 million.

   "Yet they're willing to destroy the livelihoods of 2,500 operators to
make a few extra bucks," he said, stressing that these workers are the same
women whom Bell has fought tooth and nail to avoid pay equity obligations.

   Bell announced on January 11 that it plans to sell its operator services
division to Excell Global Services which means that 55 work centres spread
throughout Ontario and Quebec will shrink to five. That would translate
into job loss for the majority of operators because they will be unable to
relocate. And those who do move will be faced with a huge reduction in
their salaries if the company has its way.

You can help operators keep their jobs in their communities.

1)	If you live in Ontario or Quebec you can call Bell's Executive
complaint line (no charge) 1-800-717-6354 and tell them if they go through
with the sale you will move your service to other companies.
2)	If you have access to the Internet you can visit the CEP web site
at www.cep.ca and use our fax facility to send a message to your member of
Parliament demanding government action to oppose this sell out. By Monday
February 1, 1999 the fax facility will also allow you to send a message to
Bell's President John McDonald and the Vice President for Operator
Services, Paulette Beaudry-Klug.  (This is a work in progress.)

Bell reacts to public pressure and we not only need to keep the pressure
on, we need to turn up the heat!

Please distribute this message as widely as possible.

Thanks for your support.







______________________________________________________________________
Jamie Kneen 					     tel: 613.236.9188
4-259 Cambridge St. North		             fax: 613.236.8632
Ottawa, Ontario  K1R 7B1  Canada		e-mail: jkneen@web.net
______________________________________________________________________
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