2002 September
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Official Publication of September 2002 the Telecommunications Vol. )0(1V Workers Union TheTransmitter No. 4 BROADWAY Eigaget2 PRINTERS Office closures, massive cuts to service, staff In June, TELUS announced nine communities, eliminating more than $6 billion to acquire The Union organized a office in their community buyout offers to members as about 1,800 positions. It will Clearnet. series of public meetings to closes. part of a plan to cut the reduce the number of telephone TWU President Rod Hiebert draw attention to the The Union has taken steps unionized workforce, currently company employees in a has called for the replacement destructive nature of the to reassure members that they about 17,000, by 5000. number of smaller of TELUS CEO Darren company's plans, and activists are being given false On July 11, the other shoe communities, and eliminate Entwistle, a commitment to have made presentations to a information, and that even if dropped. them entirely from others. provide quality service, and number of city and municipal they are facing an office TELUS announced plans to Areas affected include operator retention of service in local councils. Public response to closure, they are not facing a close offices and phone stores services, repair service; communities. the Union initiative has been layoff in BC and Alberta as part of its customer care, telemarketing Shareholders and financial overwhelming positive. As recently as August 20, cost-cutting initiative. and credit and collections. analysts appear to have reached Meanwhile, TELUS incorrect information was The plan will see the closure The Union has blasted the a conclusion similar to that of managers have been pressuring being spread by some of 33 of the 40 phone stores, cuts in staff and service as "a the Union, as share prices employees to take a buyout managers, and the Union was leaving three major stores in devastating and unwarranted dropped sharply after the package and leave the forced to respond with the BC (Victoria, Vancouver and attack on communities, announcement of cutbacks, and workforce, in many cases following message: Burnaby) and four in Alberta customers and workers." precipitously after the implying or saying outright that (two in Edmonton and two in The Union attributes the announcement of a major they will be without work if the (See 'Company', page eight) Calgary). This initiative will company's shaky financial downgrading of the company's have a direct impact on about situation on mismanagement status by a bond rating agency 250 workers. and bad investment decisions, shortly after the July 11 cuts Buyout offers revised Of more significance in particularly the decision to pay were announced. story, page three terms of numbers of employees, the company also plans to consolidate and close call centres. The total number TELUS seeks 'concessions and worse' of call centers will drop from Our members at TELUS based largely on factors such as bargaining is taking place as contract they want," says Bell. 66 in 20 communities to 28 in have been working nearly two skills and qualifications, important issues are being "But what we are finding is that years now without a revised irrespective of seniority. considered by the federal it is firming up the MAI LPOSTE collective agreement, and They want to do away with Labour Board, most notably, determination of the Canada Post Corporation 'Societe canadienne des posies Postage paid Port page contract talks can be described our broad contracting out the issue of the status of membership to resist." Publications Number at best as moving at a snail's rights, with contracting out Clearnet within the bargaining The cuts to service and to the 1461214 pace. And that's an optimistic protections applying only to unit. (As you will see in a workforce have led not just to VANCOUVER, B.C. way of looking at it. core functions, as defined by related story elsewhere in this unhappy workers, but also to Actually, the bargaining the company. Similarly, they issue, the Clearnet application unhappy customers, and to situation is even worse than propose to gut the work appears to be still months away unhappy shareholders. The that, says Vice-President Bruce jurisdiction clause. from resolution.) new "get tough" approach has Bell. What we see is bargaining Also of crucial important to nothing positive for anyone, As bad as the slow process of form without substance, and members, bargaining is taking and they are paying the price of talks is, Bell says, the more what substance there is can place now in the shadow of a in business terms as well as frustrating problem stems from only be described as entirely major initiative by TELUS to industrial relations terms. what the company is seeking at negative for workers, says Bell. downsize the workforce, and It is important for the the bargaining table. "It would appear that in the company's level of service membership to understand the "It is all negative," says Bell. pursuing this radical departure to the public. Union has no intention of "Concessions, and worse. The from accepted bargaining In July, the company playing the company's game, company is proposing nothing practice, the company is announced plans to reduce the says Bell, no intention of lying but takeaways. There is not the banking on a cowed and workforce by 6,000, including down and letting management slightest suggestion TELUS complacent membership 5,000 bargaining unit roll over our members and their has any desire or intention of accepting what is being dished personnel (see related story). hard-won rights. building on the existing out. The Union believes Part and parcel of this slashing What we need from our agreement, or of offering TELUS is seriously of the workforce is a plan to members, he says, is continued anything positive to the miscalculating the mood and close the majority of phone support for our efforts and membership. TELUS has resolve of the membership. stores, down from 40 to seven, determination to resist the made it clear they want to tear From our travels around B.C. and to consolidate call centres, gutting of the collective down what has been negotiated and Alberta, meeting with eliminating more than half the agreement. over the years and decades, and members throughout the existing 66, a move which will "Come out to local replace it with an agreement company, it is evident to us that hit smaller communities meetings, stay informed, resist that strips away hard-won the vast majority of the particularly hard. It will also company efforts to panic or rights and seriously weakens membership is not buying the place enormous pressure on stampede members into hasty our members' position within company line, and will fight for members remaining in those decisions about your future, the workforce." what they believe in to secure communities. and together we can work to The company wants to water a decent collective agreement." "Clearly the company is protect your jobs and your down the job posting The Company's stubborn- hoping the threat of job loss and futures," Bell says. procedure, or more accurately, ness at the bargaining table severe disruptions in the "In the past, the workers Bell says, to gut the job posting must be seen within the wider workplace will weaken the have always prevailed when we procedure, moving away from context of their strategy. The resolve of members and allow stick together. We will remain seniority to a posting procedure slow pace and negative tone of them to virtually impose the rock solid again this time." LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear TWU: worked very hard to serve the well with David Winter in the Basic received a raise in their compensation, Retirement thanks Thank you for the $1000 cheque, membership and I encourage all Shop Steward class in a very large in Entwistle's case, 90% over last The Dear TWU: honourary life membership and letter members to support their Union. Week 1. Tamara Marshall also did a year. It is outrageous that such a poor I wish to thank you for my $1000 presented to me on my retirement. benefits we receive aren't due to great job and, as discussed, helped performer would receive an increase cheque, honourary life membership, I enjoyed my participation in the largess on the part of the company we lower the average age of our instructor in salary. Further, as a shareholder, I pin and letter on the occasion of my TWU and especially liked working work for but a result of good team. It is important for us to continue am increasingly annoyed at the retirement on May 30th, after 36 years with Lila Wing and Kathy Pearn when bargaining by our Union to integrate new, younger instructors disproportionately high salaries that with BC Tel and TELUS. I was in Local 23. Keep up the good representatives. into the School for it to continue in CEOs receive, Nortel CEO John Roth Good luck and thanks for the They have been very enjoyable fight. its pre-eminent position. All is the star in taking shareholders down years. Thank you again. In solidarity, memories. instructors would be eagerly the drain while increasing his personal Yours truly, Shirley Archaambault Sister Drina Latrace welcomed at future schools. wealth. Entwistle is part of the same Stephanie Williams Local 20 Local 51 It was a pleasure working with discrediting bunch of CEOs. Local 11 Dear TWU: Dear TWU: Bruce Bell and Rod Hiebert to fit your Apart from losing a hard-earned Dear TWU: I would like to express my thanks From party line to wireless - what TWU instructors into the School.