BURNABY, B.C. – The Telecommunications Workers Union says that business analyst Michael Levy, while on Bill Good’s CKNW radio program yesterday, told listeners that Telus CEO Darren Entwistle is out to break the union.
According to a TWU press release, Levy said senior Telus managers have contacted him to express their willingness to enter into non-binding arbitration with the union, and also that "the big guy on top" has his sight on breaking the union.
"This confirms what we already knew. There is one insurmountable barrier to settlement – the intractable position of Telus CEO Darren Entwistle,” said TWU vice-president Peter Massy. “Mr. Entwistle appears determined to win at any cost. He is oblivious to the damage he is doing to the morale of the workforce. Somebody should remind him that once this dispute is over, people will have to work together."
TWU workers went on strike July 21st after Telus imposed its last contract offer – an offer which came four and a half years since the last contract expired.
"Entwistle’s intransigence is forcing us to escalate," Massy continued. "This weekend we are initiating a combination of leafletting and picketing, asking customers not to purchase Telus services from the company’s dealer-allies. For the time being, this activity will be limited to the Lower Mainland in B.C. Picket lines will be mounted outside entrances to London Drugs and Future Shops. In addition, there will be pickets at Telus dealers located outside of malls in Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey and Coquitlam.
"Mr. Entwistle doesn’t realize that the goal is an agreement, not to destroy the union," Massy concluded.
