BC Hydro’s No-Bid Contract With Accenture an Insult to Customers, Union Members

October 7, 2010

Burnaby, BC – BC Hydro has served a Notice of Intent to contract with outsourcing giant Accenture despite questions about the value of the rendered service from media and the union representing workers at BC Hydro and Accenture, said the Canadian Office and Employees Union, local 378 (MoveUP).

MoveUP is calling the Notice of Intent an insult to both BC Hydro’s customers and the employees of Accenture, who have been without a collective agreement for a year and a half. Bargaining talks broke off over a year ago when Accenture signalled it wanted major concessions from union members in wages and benefits. “Instead of choosing a supplier through an open, transparent Request for Proposal process, Hydro has wants to work with a company that has provided substandard service, and one that treats their employees poorly,” said MoveUP President Andy Ross.

“BC Hydro has not done their due diligence to find out if another vendor could provide the same – or better – service for better cost,” continued Ross. His concerns are underscored by a report in theTyee.ca detailing the cost overruns of the original BC Hydro–Accenture outsourcing contract (Accenture’s BC Hydro Contract Way over Budget, 2010 June 21, Will McMartin, TheTyee.ca).

The Notice of Intent issued by BC Hydro for the consulting contract states Accenture’s services would be focussed on the newly integrated Transmission and Distribution department, previously the BC Transmission Corporation.

“It’s doubly offensive to say Accenture is needed to smooth the re-integration with the Transmission and Distribution division. This government chose to hive off the BC Transmission Corporation, and when that didn’t work, they shoved them back together. Now we’re throwing good money after bad to fix these mistakes,” said Ross.

Accenture’s record in BC wouldn’t inspire confidence in most clients. Recently Terasen went before the BC Utilities Commission to get out of their Customer Care contract with Accenture. In 2008 BC Hydro brought back work from both the purchasing and procurement departments and IT previously outsourced to Accenture.

To view BC Hydro’s Notice of Intent, visit More Power To Accenture, 2010 Oct 6, Sean Holman, Publiceyeonline.com.

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For more information contact:
Sage Aaron
MoveUP Communications Officer
604-317-6153
saaron@moveuptogether.ca