I WAS A UNION MEMBER TWICE: For several summers as a labourer installing gas pipeline in Northern Ontario and for a four month stint as a part-time Bookmobile driver and librarian in Guelph, Ont.
I lived for a few years in Sault Ste. Marie and saw what the Steelworkers have had to go through there with Algoma Steel. I lived in Windsor for three years and the Canadian Auto Workers union was always front and centre.
I say all this to illustrate that I think I have a bit of a grasp on what the union/corporation relationship can be….
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OTTAWA – All the regional telcos used to work together to lobby the government like this under the old Stentor Alliance – an working group that was disbanded years ago when they all decided to compete with one another.
Today, the remaining former Stentor members (with one notable exception) held a joint press conference to make official their appeal to Federal Cabinet over the CRTC’s voice over Internet protocol decision.
The decision, as reported on numerous occasions by www.cartt.ca, says that incumbent telcos have to abide by existing telecom regulations in the way of win-back rules, tariff applications, and…
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TORONTO – With the headlines in British Columbia and Alberta touting the Telus strike which began today, Rogers Telecom announced it’s expanding its local phone service further into the Lower Mainland of B.C., adding five more communities to its coverage area.
Port Coquitlam, Port Moody and the Newton area of Surrey are the main communities. With today’s announcement, Rogers Telecom facilities (formerly the Sprint Canada network, which Rogers purchased earlier this year) are now co-located in 160 wire centres across Canada.
"Residents and businesses in these Lower Mainland communities will now have a choice when it comes to selecting a…
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TORONTO – With huge top and bottom line growth in radio, Corus Entertainment today went to some lengths to show that it isn’t just happenstance or an anomaly, but a broad-based resurgence.
The company’s third quarter results, released Thursday, showed the company’s radio profits surged by 21% on a 12% increase in ad revenue. For public companies, this is always challenging. It’s great news now, but then the company is under pressure to grow even more next year.
Company CEO John Cassaday showed financial analysts late Thursday afternoon how broadly-based the spike in ad revenue is, saying 12…
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OTTAWA – Given the timelines involved in relation to other proceedings already under way, one wonders why the CRTC is even bothering with its latest telecom public notice.
On Thursday, the Commission called for comments on Bell Canada’s application on introducing Bell Digital Voice (PN #2005-9). Thing is, it’s already been approved and there are much bigger fish to fry – some of which are already frying.
Bell Digital Voice is the VOIP (voice over IP) service the company launched in Quebec months prior to the CRTC’s May 12 decision on the matter which said, in part, that…
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BURNABY, B.C. – Telus and the Telecommunications Workers Union have received a letter from Minister of Labour and Housing Joe Fontana offering mediation for their long-running dispute.
"We are encouraged by this move by the government," said Telecommunications Workers Union president Bruce Bell in a press release.
"According to the Minister, under the terms of this initiative both parties will have a role in selecting someone with real expertise to listen to our issues. This person will also have the Minister’s ear. That’s invaluable," added Bell. "In addition, both sides will be able to shape the process and to…
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THE VOIP REVOLUTION could end with a single phone call.
No, not by a call from the CRTC deregulating the incumbent telcos, but by one dropped 9-1-1 call.
I’ve often wondered why, since the launch of VOIP, the newcomers came to market without 9-1-1 service. When Primus and Vonage and others began, buried in their marketing materials in teeny type, were notes mentioning their service can’t offer some of the basics people have come to expect, like, oh, 9-1-1.
While they’ve since moved to offer the emergency calling feature, I thought its absence was unconscionable at launch.
Personally, if I’m…
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OTTAWA – Canada’s wireless service providers will introduce inter-carrier multimedia message services (MMS) to wireless phone customers across the country on July 1.
This is the broadest initiative of its kind in North America, says the the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA). The move will enable customers with MMS-capable mobile phones, regardless of the customer’s wireless service provider, to instantly send and receive messages with rich content to and from the MMS-capable phones of friends, family and colleagues.
MMS, commonly referred to as picture messaging or video messaging, extends text messaging to include photos, video clips, graphics, audio clips…
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BURNABY – The Telecommunications Workers Union announced Wednesday that it will table a comprehensive response to all of the major issues that have been raised by Telus.
At the same time, union president Bruce Bell will send a personal letter to Telus president and CEO Darren Entwistle, asking him to “free his bargaining committee to engage in serious bargaining,” says the union press release.
The union is undertaking the two moves as part of its attempt to kick-start the stalled negotiating process, which has led to accusations and a work-to-rule campaign by the workers right after Telus…
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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…
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