By: Andrew Wahl
I have a story about Nortel’s (TSX:NT) downward spiral into bankruptcy protection in the next issue of Canadian Business, on newsstands this Thursday, Mar. 12. In it I report that Nortel has about 5800 employees in Canada, 4,000 of whom work in Ottawa at its Carling facility, and that there’s an executive office in Toronto, with three specialty R&D centres in Montreal, Calgary and Belleville, Ont.
I found out this morning—after the story went to press on Friday—that those numbers are close, but not absolutely accurate. In fact, employment in Canada is lower.
From an overdue e-mail from Nortel spokesperson Mohammed Nakhooda this morning:
“…these are the latest numbers I have for you…
5639 (Canada)
3844 (Ottawa)
8882 (US)14521 (North America) – total
Presence in Toronto (HQ); Belleville, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Regina, Vancouver and Winnipeg.”
I’m assuming that the “presence” in places like Edmonton, Halifax, Regina, Vancouver and Winnipeg are minimally staffed sales-support offices.
Also, those numbers will decline. The full effect of the 5000 layoffs announced in recent weeks is still rolling through the company.
4 Responses to “ Nortel: How many Canadian employees? ”
I don’t think anyone will be demanding apologies or resignations–you were off by less than 3%.
By Patrick on Mar 9, 2009
Patrick: I neither apologize nor resign over such small discrepancies. But we do pride ourselves in being accurate as possible at CB. Moreover, it is good to have Nortel on the record about employee headcounts, especially when they are shrinking fast. Just ask every one of those Canadian employees still clinging to Nortel pay cheques. At this point, every job counts.
By Andrew Wahl on Mar 9, 2009
what is the word on nortel international employees-Mexico, Turkey, India?
By walter on Mar 9, 2009
Nortel is an example of a company that placed its bet with the best and brightest they could attract from the various liberal indoctrination centers that we call universities.
They offed the backbone of the company, those that came up based on talent and an affinity for the business. (The “Old Dogs” who place the new boys on their shoulders and show them how the business really works while harnessing the fresh insights of the young entrants)
Well, so much for unsupervised Business School/Engineering golden boys.
Kinda like the one about the old bull and the young bull standing on the hill looking down at the herd in the valley below.
Young bull: Lets run down there and get us one of those heifers.
Old bull: Son, why don’t we walk down and get all them all.
By Dan Sullivan on Mar 12, 2009