Telus staff battle 'bullying'
Union to ask court for stay of plan to cut sick pay, freeze time off
Paul Marck
The Edmonton Journal
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
EDMONTON - The union representing 13,700 Telus workers in Alberta and B.C. branded the company's latest negotiation ploy as bully-boy tactics destined to fail.
The Telecommunications Workers Union, in bargaining talks with Telus this week, was taken aback Monday when the company declared it would enact "certain lockout measures" as of April 25. Telus said negotiations had reached an impasse.
Union president Bruce Bell said the union's immediate reaction is to seek a stay in Federal Court of Telus's latest labour moves, along with a return to the bargaining table.
"They're just trying to intimidate the union with bully tactics," Bell said. "We're not going to respond to this."
Telus says it will suspend all joint union-company activity on grievances and other matters, cancel the first paid day of illness absence and freeze pay rates, vacation entitlements and accumulated time-off scheduling.
Union officials were not available to comment Monday, but fired back on Tuesday Bell said the best move for both the union and Telus is to resume negotiations, with a renewed aim towards settlement.
"We're also going to be at the table trying to negotiate. We're going to say, 'Now that you've taken these measures, why don't we start some real bargaining. You can't have every single clause go your way, with everything. We're willing to meet you in the middle.' "
Bell said the biggest stumbling block since negotiations began in November 2000 has been Telus's desire to basically toss out the old master agreement and start fresh with complete new language throughout a new collective agreement.
"To have it all their way is just not on. That is ridiculous," Bell said.
All the same, Bell said he is confident that the two sides can reach a new deal.
The union will make its presence felt at Telus's annual general meeting, to be held in Edmonton at the Winspear Centre on May 4. Many employees hold Telus stock, and some of those union members will make their voices heard at the meeting, Bell said.
However, the union currently is not planning any kind of demonstration beyond that at the meeting.
Labour relations at Telus have been acrimonious for years, since Alberta-based Telus and B.C.-based BC Tel merged in 2000. A binding arbitration order by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board in January 2004 was overturned in February this year.
A company efficiency program in 2002-03 that trimmed 5,000 unionized staff also complicated the troubled labour front.
Following that was a long period of increasing service problems for Telus, and an unprecedented spike in customer complaints to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
Union to ask court for stay of plan to cut sick pay, freeze time off
Paul Marck
The Edmonton Journal
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
EDMONTON - The union representing 13,700 Telus workers in Alberta and B.C. branded the company's latest negotiation ploy as bully-boy tactics destined to fail.
The Telecommunications Workers Union, in bargaining talks with Telus this week, was taken aback Monday when the company declared it would enact "certain lockout measures" as of April 25. Telus said negotiations had reached an impasse.
Union president Bruce Bell said the union's immediate reaction is to seek a stay in Federal Court of Telus's latest labour moves, along with a return to the bargaining table.
"They're just trying to intimidate the union with bully tactics," Bell said. "We're not going to respond to this."
Telus says it will suspend all joint union-company activity on grievances and other matters, cancel the first paid day of illness absence and freeze pay rates, vacation entitlements and accumulated time-off scheduling.
Union officials were not available to comment Monday, but fired back on Tuesday Bell said the best move for both the union and Telus is to resume negotiations, with a renewed aim towards settlement.
"We're also going to be at the table trying to negotiate. We're going to say, 'Now that you've taken these measures, why don't we start some real bargaining. You can't have every single clause go your way, with everything. We're willing to meet you in the middle.' "
Bell said the biggest stumbling block since negotiations began in November 2000 has been Telus's desire to basically toss out the old master agreement and start fresh with complete new language throughout a new collective agreement.
"To have it all their way is just not on. That is ridiculous," Bell said.
All the same, Bell said he is confident that the two sides can reach a new deal.
The union will make its presence felt at Telus's annual general meeting, to be held in Edmonton at the Winspear Centre on May 4. Many employees hold Telus stock, and some of those union members will make their voices heard at the meeting, Bell said.
However, the union currently is not planning any kind of demonstration beyond that at the meeting.
Labour relations at Telus have been acrimonious for years, since Alberta-based Telus and B.C.-based BC Tel merged in 2000. A binding arbitration order by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board in January 2004 was overturned in February this year.
A company efficiency program in 2002-03 that trimmed 5,000 unionized staff also complicated the troubled labour front.
Following that was a long period of increasing service problems for Telus, and an unprecedented spike in customer complaints to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.