The Telecommunications Workers Union is merging with the United Steelworkers.
Union leaders issued a statement Friday saying TMU members had voted 73.7 per cent in favor of the merger.
The TWU represents 12,000 members across Canada who work for telecommunications companies including TELUS (TSX:T) and Shaw Communications (TSX:SJR.B), as well as employers in related telecommunications sectors.
"This is a great result for our membership, our families and our communities across Canada," TWU national president Lee Riggs said, adding that the decision to join the much larger union would "help us improve the working lives of our members."
USW National Director Ken Neumann said the merger was an example of a "shared, positive vision for the labour movement."
The merger agreement does not take effect until January 1, but both unions said they planned to begin joint activities immediately.
"With the USW's extensive international network of allies and resources and the TWU's deep expertise in the sector, our newly merged union can become a global leader in the telecommunications sector," Riggs and Neumann said in a joint statement.
The United Steelworkers is a diverse private-sector union with 225,000 members working in every region and sector in Canada.
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