BURNABY, B.C – "For 4 1/2 years, we have tried everything imaginable to get Telus to bargain with us, but they have refused to budge," opens the latest press release salvo from Telecommunications Workers Union president Bruce Bell.
"Starting today, we’re trying a different approach. As of (Monday) morning, the union is initiating a campaign that combines working-to-rule with providing super service to customers," Bell continued.
Reading through the litany (below) of musts for TWU members now would be pretty funny, if it weren’t such a serious issue. It seems Telus’ union employees will now be busy topping up windshield washer fluid, avoiding expressways, reading bulletin boards and over-working customers who call in for help.
"The TWU and Telus have a joint safety creed which says ‘The demands of the service or the importance of the job are never so great that we cannot do the job safely.’ Despite this creed, the company is constantly pressuring our people. This sometimes results in members taking shortcuts that result in serious injury. Therefore, effective immediately, we are instructing our members to ensure they obey all safety regulations," he said.
"This means that installation and repair people must ensure that vehicle inspections are up to date; that fluid levels and tire pressure are correct; that lights and safety equipment is in working order; that traffic control, cones and chocks are properly deployed; that their work site is hazard free; that supervisors are using the Global Positioning System properly to monitor their movements; and that they take the safest, not the fastest, route to their next job and that they obey all traffic laws," he emphasized.
Telus and its union in B.C. have been embroiled in a lengthy, bitter contract dispute. Workers have gone more than four years without a new contract (the last contract was done so long ago it was negotiated with former provincial telco BC Tel, prior to Telus purchasing that company). Each side has made offers and threats, but neither wants to take that final step – a strike from the workers’ side, a lockout from the company’s.
"In addition, all employees must be sure that they take the work breaks they are entitled to at the time they are entitled to take them; that they take the e-learning courses they have been assigned to on company time; that their work stations are set up to accommodate their physical needs; and that they take the necessary time to read and fully understand all company bulletins and emails and respond to them as necessary," Bell added.
"It is the company’s position that customers are our most important asset and that they deserve to be treated with respect," he went on. "We heartily agree. Unfortunately, there is a huge gap between Telus rhetoric and reality on the ground. The company’s continuing abuse of statistics and its efforts to speed up the pace of work is causing stress in the workplace and negatively impacting customer service," said Bell.
"Accordingly, in addition to focusing on creating a safe workplace, we are instructing our members to ensure that they take the necessary time to fully understand what the customer needs and that they do their best to meet them. We are asking our members to go the extra mile to provide super service and make sure that customers are happy. This means taking the necessary time to explain service options and doing what is necessary to provide them once the customer chooses the one they want. Then, if they are handing off the customer to an employee in another department, we are asking our people to stay on line to ensure the customer gets through and is not inadvertently disconnected," he elaborated.
"Finally, we understand that some managers are performing bargaining unit work. We are asking members who see a manager doing this to assume that they are training and to join in the lesson," Bell concluded.
