By Sammy Hudes
Telus Corp. is offering buyouts to hundreds more employees as part of the company’s push for more self-serve solutions that began last year.
The United Steelworkers union said Friday that Telus has offered buyout packages to nearly 700 more workers across the country, including to more than 500 of its members.
The union’s Local 1944, which represents around 4,000 Telus employees, said the move affects workers in Telus Business Solutions operations in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, who have until Jan. 21 to decide on their offers.
Telus spokeswoman Sacha Gudmundsson said the packages are part of the same voluntary separation program the company implemented in 2025, “fuelled by rapid transformation in our industry and the growing customer demand for self-serve solutions.”
“As a result, we’re offering generous voluntary financial packages that exceed the requirements of the Canada Labour Code and give team members the option to retire or pursue a career outside of our organization,” she said in an emailed statement.
Gudmundsson added it is a “standard operating practice” for Telus to offer voluntary departure packages to a broad number of employees across the regions where it operates “in an effort to be fair and equitable to those in the impacted work areas.”
Last February, the union said Telus offered buyout packages in two waves, including to 545 employees across several departments followed by another 560 workers shortly after.
The United Steelworkers condemned that move at the time, accusing the company of reducing service levels and outsourcing work overseas.
“Further workforce reductions at Telus will hurt communities and the Canadian economy, and will only exacerbate Canadians’ growing dissatisfaction with the service they’re receiving from telecommunications companies,” said Michael Phillips, president of USW Local 1944, in a press release Friday.
“Canadians are not happy with the quality of service they’re getting at the moment, and Telus cutting jobs is not going to help.”
Gudmundsson said Telus anticipates “a very small number of the team members being canvassed” will be interested in accepting the latest offer, and that the company reserves the right to limit the number of departures.
In 2024, the company told around 150 call centre employees based in Ontario they had to relocate within a few months, apply for another role or agree to be laid off.
Telus also cited the need to “evolve our customer service” at that time by offering more digital and self-serve options.
