Who are we?

We are the union local representing Bell Canada technicians (communications workers), and Bell spin-off companies Expertech, Bell Subco, Nexacor and Shell oil Thermoshell.
Our local was originally chartered under the Communication Workers of Canada (CWC) in 1976.

Where did we come from?

Well, originally our union, the Communications Workers of Canada(CWC) was formed when about 5000 workers at SaskTel and Manitoba Tel decided to break away from the Communications Workers of America (CWA). They formed an all Canadian union in the early seventies. In 1975 the workers at Bell Canada decided they needed a union and the CWC assisted in organizing.  We were certified in 1976 and added 20,000 new members to the CWC.

In 1985 we merged with the IUE Canada, and added about another 10,000 members. We reorganized ourselves into Communications and Industrial sectors. Along the way we managed to organize telephone workers at New Brunswick Tel and Newfoundland Tel.

In 1993 we again merged. This time we joined with the Canadian Paperworkers Union, and the Energy & Chemical Workers Union. At this point we were over 140,000 strong. And again we reorganized, adding the Paper and Energy sectors.

In 1994 at our convention in Toronto we merged with the National Association of Broadcast and Electronic Technicians (NABET), and were joined by many locals from the Newspaper Guild and various CWA locals in the publishing industry. This formed another new sector the Media Sector. And that took us over the 150,000 member mark.