VANCOUVER – Responding to its employees’ walkout, Telus today confirmed that it will implement certain terms and conditions of its comprehensive offer of settlement with its unionized workers on July 22.
"Our offer recognizes the contributions of our team members and effectively addresses the needs of Telus, our customers and our shareholders," said Darren Entwistle, Telus president and CEO. "It would make Telus’ unionized team members among the best paid telecommunications professionals in Canada, provide employment security and give Telus the flexibility it needs to compete on an even playing field with its competitors."
Telus has implemented a comprehensive contingency plan to maintain service for its customers in response to the full scale strike called by the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) earlier today.
This implementation will not include the retroactive and lump sum payments contained in the Telus offer, which will only become payable following ratification of the comprehensive offer of settlement.
The TWU had its members walkout today, the day before Telus had said it would implement its last offer.
TWU president Bruce Bell explained that the company has been attempting to coerce employees into accepting its deal. "In the run-up to the company’s Friday deadline, management has been threatening, browbeating and intimidating our members, trying to get them to come to work tomorrow under terms and conditions imposed by Telus. They have threatened to close the offices of members who do not come to work on Friday. They have offered to use security guards to help employees cross picket lines. There seems to be no limit to what Telus is willing do to undermine our union and its ability to represent our members.
"Telus complains that our contracting out language restricts their ability to compete," Bell added. "But the company’s share price was up 40% last year and they were the global telecom leader in terms of revenue, earnings and cash-flow growth rates. Maybe Telus’ competitors would do better if their collective agreements contained similarly ‘restrictive’ contracting out language.
"This dispute isn’t about our refusal to get rid of outdated contract language,” Bell continued. “It’s about workers’ right to job security and a decent standard of living versus Telus’ unrestricted corporate greed. We’ve tried every imaginable way to work out some kind of accommodation with the company, but the people who are running their show want to break our union.
"Telus’ game plan is not working. I’m getting the word loud and clear from our members. They’re demanding that we get it on," he concluded.
