News Flash: Apple Canada layoffs hit channel reps (Updated)

According to a very recent — albeit unconfirmed — report, on March 31st Apple Canada laid off all of its channel representatives. No further information is available at this time. If true, the move would land a significant blow to all of the country's independent Apple resellers.

Update

According to a multitude of reliable sources, the aforementioned Apple Canada layoffs indeed took place, yesterday. All members of the channel representative staff were either let go or transferred to a different position.

The layoffs came swiftly and shockingly at 12 noon on Wednesday, sources say, and were quickly followed with calls from Apple Canada to its larger independent resellers.

"We'd like to talk to you about the changes being made at Apple," the company reportedly said to Canadian resellers in notes and message sent out just hours after the cuts. No prior warning was provided to resellers or Apple channel staff.

The job cuts are said to be the very beginning of a major reorganization that will hit Apple Canada in the near future, though sources say the computer company has been tight-lipped about the deal.

"I think Apple sucks. Time after time they have shown that they don't care about their people or the many people who have devoted their lives to the company through the reseller channel," one Canadian reseller told AppleInsider.

Several members of the now nonexistent Apple Canada channel rep staff had devoted well over a decade to Apple at their position. "I knew they would screw me over sooner or later, but to do that to these people without even offering them other positions after the many years of service is a disgrace."

"It's just so unbelievable, and it's April 1st. We're stunned," said another Canadian Apple reseller who first heard of the cuts from AppleInsider, rather than the company itself. "We have confirmed this story as well. Emails sent to our Apple reps [today] have all bounced back."

As previously reported, Apple is rapidly proceeding with plans to establish its own retail presence in Canada.

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