Winnipeg Tech Workers Unionize After Layoffs, Outsourcing

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Workers at Permanent Software Group Canada Ltd., a point-of-sale software firm, have unionized with the United Steelworkers after half the workforce was let go and roles shifted to staff outside Canada, the union said Thursday.

The company, which was formerly Secure Retail POS Systems and is now owned by U.S. private-equity firm Cordance, provides specialized POS software for thrift stores and retail clients across North America. Workers handle software design, installation and support.

Several employees recently received termination notices as part of restructuring, the union said. The organizing drive started after long-term staff were replaced by remote workers abroad, according to one worker who spoke with the USW.

"The company operated for 20 years under its founders, who were fair, respectful and consistent. People knew that if you did your job, you had stability," the worker said. "Once corporate leadership took over, everything changed, with long-standing perks removed, flexibility eliminated and management moved hundreds of miles away."