BURNABY, B.C. – The B.C. division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees is cutting Telus out of its life.
The largest union in the province, with 70,000 members, has begun negotiations with other telecommunications providers to replace the division office’s land line, Internet and mobile phone services.
The move is a direct response to the strike at the telco by the Telecommunication Workers Union (TWU). It makes CUPE the first union in Canada to launch a full-scale boycott of Telus products.
“We can no longer have ourselves in a position where we as a union are being serviced by someone who is so anti-union," says CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill in a release.
"We can no longer tolerate the way that TELUS treats its own workers, and this is the best way to send out that message. We have tried downgrading services, dropping unnecessary products and urging our members not to open new accounts, but it’s clear that the only way to get Darren Entwistle’s attention (the Telus CEO) is to cut the line completely."
The union reached the decision earlier this month at its executive board meeting. The plan calls for the division office to set up new phone and Internet accounts with the hope that area offices, locals and the vast majority of B.C.’s 70,000 CUPE members will follow suit.
No word yet on who that provider might be.
"Hopefully, other unions will follow our example and send the same message to Mr. Entwistle: if Telus wants to assault workers’ rights, then we can assault your bottom line,” added O’Neill.
