BURNABY, B.C. – The latest changes proposed by Telus to its final offer made to its employees are “an insult to all members of the TWU, especially those in predominately female job classifications," said Telecommunications Workers Union president Bruce Bell.
"This is an insult to members of the bargaining unit. It includes an offer of an additional $8,000 in signing bonuses for approximately 1,500 predominantly male craft employees in Alberta and an additional percentage increase to most of craft employees in British Columbia and Alberta. But there is nothing by way of a comparable increase for members in predominantly female classifications," Bell explained in a press release.
In response, the union has instituted a ban on working overtime on its members and its web site now warns: "The union plan includes further escalation. TWU members should know shortly whether we will be engaged in real bargaining or unveiling further steps in our escalating strategy."
"The fact is that under the Telus offer, wage parity for clerical and operator service employees would not become a reality until the final months of their offer," added Bell, who chairs the TWU bargaining committee. "Telus is trying to drive a wedge between different groups of our members by offering bribes to some of them. Apparently the company hopes this approach will generate pressure to accept its substandard, ever-changing contract offer," he continued.
"This is just latest in a series of attacks that employees have suffered. With the closing of operator and business offices during Telus’ slash-and-burn downsizing campaign, female employment at Telus outside of major centres was decimated. Employees in those centres were forced to relocate or resign. This latest move shows they’re still at it," continued Bell in the release.
"This is reminiscent of what happened at Bell Canada," he went on. "In that contract dispute, the company offered money to craft employees and forced a vote on the contract three times. Each time it was rejected by the membership. So the company kept tweaking their offer until it was finally accepted on the fourth attempt. Then, after the agreement was signed, Bell sold off its operator service division and outsourced the operators’ jobs. Not long after that they outsourced the craft work to Entourage and others."
Recognizing service will gain importance going forward, however, Bell repurchased Entourage earlier this year.
"Are there parallels here?" Bell asked. "Yes. The man who was Bell Canada’s chief negotiator in that round of negotiations is the person Telus hired to head up its team in negotiations with the TWU.
“Telus has yet to comprehend that as unionists, ‘What we desire for ourselves we wish for all’. We will not allow a wedge to be driven into the ranks of our membership. The issue in this round of negotiations is not about money. It is about negotiating a good, solid contract containing language that guarantees equity and protects job security," Bell concluded.
