WINNIPEG – The United Steelworkers union (USW) is proud to welcome workers at Permanent Software Group Canada Ltd. in Winnipeg, following a successful organizing effort sparked by concerns over job security, recent layoffs and the growing impact of remote work displacement and emerging AI-driven restructuring in the tech sector.
The workers provide specialized software design, installation and support for point-of-sale (POS) systems used by thrift stores and retail clients across North America.
The company, formerly Secure Retail POS Systems, continues to operate under its legacy branding in parts of its business while transitioning under Permanent Software Group Canada Ltd., a Canadian entity tied to U.S.-based private equity firm Cordance.
Workers say recent corporate changes, including the termination of long-standing employees and the replacement of roles with remote staff outside of Canada, raised serious concerns about transparency, fairness and the future of stable employment. Several employees recently received termination notices as part of restructuring.
“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,” said a worker. “Once corporate leadership took over, everything changed, with long-standing perks removed, flexibility eliminated and management moved hundreds of miles away. The final breaking point came with sudden layoffs affecting nearly half the workforce, where long-term employees were let go without explanation and roles were shifted elsewhere.”
The USW says this organizing drive reflects a broader trend in which Canadian technology workers are increasingly exposed to global outsourcing, private equity consolidation and the accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence in workplace restructuring decisions.
“Artificial intelligence and automation are already reshaping how work is structured in sectors like software and technical services,” said Deepak Kullar, USW Organizer.
“Workers are seeing how quickly roles can be shifted, redefined or eliminated. Unionizing gives workers a collective voice to ensure technology is introduced responsibly and that workers are not left behind in the name of efficiency. This is about making sure progress includes people, not just profits,” added Kullar.
“We are proud to welcome these workers into the United Steelworkers union,” said Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director.
“These technology workers are standing together in response to unfair restructuring and a growing trend of jobs being moved or replaced under private equity ownership that is far removed from the workplace. This is why workers are organizing to protect their jobs, their dignity and their future, and to ensure they have a real voice in decisions that affect them,” added Lunny.
Under Manitoba’s labour laws, certification provides workers with a collective voice and the ability to negotiate fair working conditions. Recent changes under the Wab Kinew NDP government have strengthened access to union representation, making it easier for workers to organize and achieve certification when a majority support unionization. These reforms reflect a broader commitment to strengthening workers’ rights and ensuring they have a meaningful voice in their workplaces.
About the United Steelworkers union
The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of its strong track record in creating safer, more respectful workplaces and negotiating better wages, benefits, and pensions.
For more information or to join the USW, visit betterworknow.ca.
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
BURNABY, B.C. – The United Steelworkers union (USW) welcomes the BC NDP’s commitments to support forestry workers and communities through new investments to keep mills operating, protect jobs and strengthen B.C.’s forestry sector. The union says the plan is a positive step toward addressing the challenges facing the industry. The BC NDP’s proposed $120-million Forestry […]
Alberta’s future is on the ballot and Steelworkers have a choice to make. We need solutions, not scapegoats. Leadership, not chaos. Our focus should be on strengthening health care, making life more affordable, protecting good jobs and building a better future for working families. That’s why the United Steelworkers union is encouraging members across Alberta […]
Local elections and their advance voting are underway across B.C. and for Steelworkers, the people who get elected in our communities matters, deeply. In the resource communities where thousands of our members live and work, municipal governments make decisions that affect our jobs, families and communities. Strong local leaders can be our champions for forestry, mining […]