TWU update email

[clearNET]

TWU Information Update-April.22.2005



The CIRB has issued its written reasons for overturning binding arbitration
despite finding that TELUS was in fact still guilty of violating the Labour
Code. The reasons are contained in a 78-page document that needs to be
reviewed prior to any comments.

Now to the announced lockout. Soft sold to the media as merely an exercise
to move bargaining along. After five years of bargaining, we can tell that
nothing, absolutely nothing that management passes across the table is as it
seems. The impact of the notice is far greater than the Company would have
led the press to believe. The suspension of the grievance and arbitration
procedure alone means that other than discipline or terminations, the member
cannot grieve violations of the collective agreement. Check out the actual
notice on the TWU website.

We will be in front of the Federal Judge on Friday seeking a Stay of this
lockout by TELUS. We are hopeful that a decision in our favour will come
down before Monday morning.

What happens next depends on that decision. We are still at the bargaining
table despite this insult. TELUS has tabled new language proposals that we
have never seen or discussed in five years of what they call bargaining.

We are not going to be intimidated and we are not going to be pushed.

///////////////////////


VANCOUVER – The Union representing TELUS’ workers said today it is taking immediate multiple legal actions against TELUS in response to the company repeatedly violating collective bargaining laws and regulations, including emailing a misleading contract offer to all employees.

Telecommunications Workers Union President Bruce Bell said an unfair labour practice charge will be filed shortly against TELUS over its attempt to bargain directly with employees instead of their Union, a clear violation of the Canada Industrial Relations Act.

Bell said TELUS CEO Darren Entwistle is trying to sabotage negotiations by emailing a misleading contract offer directly to employees instead of negotiating with the Union at federally-mediated bargaining sessions continuing today in Vancouver. TELUS’ negotiators even said yesterday they were open to Union counter-proposals at the same time the company was secretly emailing its offer to members, Bell added.

“TELUS is obviously out of control – it is desperately breaking every rule in the book to get its way but our members are not going to be fooled by company tricks,” Bell said. “Sending our members a highly misleading offer and not explaining the enormous concessions they would have to accept is not only against the rules, it is contemptible.”

The TELUS move comes shortly after the company announced it will implement a partial lockout of TWU members on Monday, April 25, in which it will suspend pay raises, first day of sick pay, increases in vacation time and new grievances.

“We will be in Federal Court and at the Canada Industrial Relations Board this weekend and we believe TELUS will be told to obey the law immediately,” Bell said. “And we will continue to demand that TELUS negotiate fairly and honestly with the Union that represents TELUS’ employees.”

TELUS has already been found guilty of unfair labour practices by the CIRB last year, Bell said, when it violated the Federal Labour Code by interfering with the operations of the Union. The TWU has been trying to reach a revised and respectful collective agreement for over four years, he added.

TELUS and Darren Entwistle don’t want to negotiate fairly, they don’t want to put a decent offer on the table and they don’t want to play by the rules,” Bell said. “Their actions are not only harming relations with TELUS employees and their Union, they are harming the company’s best interests.”



more info over at http://www.twu-canada.ca


-clearNET

[Xirc]

Originally posted by clearNET
VANCOUVER – The Union representing TELUS’ workers said today it is taking immediate multiple legal actions against TELUS in response to the company repeatedly violating collective bargaining laws and regulations, including emailing a misleading contract offer to all employees.

Yeah thats right. Disclosing the entire offer and detailing exactly how it will impact each and every bargaining unit employee is very misleading. Instead, they should hide all the details and only leak quotes taken out of context every now and then like the TWU does

[acidcomplex]

Originally posted by Xirc
Yeah thats right. Disclosing the entire offer and detailing exactly how it will impact each and every bargaining unit employee is very misleading. Instead, they should hide all the details and only leak quotes taken out of context every now and then like the TWU does

ha you idiot, the offer they offered us is a different one then they have been showing our union for the last 4 years, so yeah id say thats misleading

[Xirc]

Originally posted by acidcomplex
ha you idiot, the offer they offered us is a different one then they have been showing our union for the last 4 years, so yeah id say thats misleading

Usually each offer you show is different. Otherwise, its just the same offer over and over again. Obviously TELUS doesn't care too much about what the TWU thinks at this point. TELUS wants to know what the employees think.

The TWU is very quickly becoming insignificant in this matter.

[acidcomplex]

Originally posted by Xirc
Usually each offer you show is different. Otherwise, its just the same offer over and over again. Obviously TELUS doesn't care too much about what the TWU thinks at this point. TELUS wants to know what the employees think.

The TWU is very quickly becoming insignificant in this matter.

different but not completely different, the twu will not become less important as this continues, telus is breaking the law by even showing this to there employees

[Poseidon]

Originally posted by acidcomplex
different but not completely different, the twu will not become less important as this continues, telus is breaking the law by even showing this to there employees

Unions have no purpose anymore. They only have $$$ on the mind.

[edm_tel]

Originally posted by Poseidon
Unions have no purpose anymore. They only have $$$ on the mind.

I completely beg to differ... This is how I would put it. Unions in North America have no pupose anymore. they only have money on their mind.

Unions in Europe and Japan work with the companies to try to make the companies sucessful as well as making sure the employess are compansated fairly. Unions in North America seem to only want to get as much money as possible without regard to how that may effect the company.

[bizboy]

I can't wait to see what happens Monday...should be interesting to say the least

[smc]

Ya... Hopefully TELUS WINS!!! TWU is just rediculous. Once a Union gets involved it is really stupid. Just reminded me of Walmart. Loved it that they just decided to shut down the unionized Walmart. Teach them a lesson.

[deathphoenix]

Originally posted by smc
Ya... Hopefully TELUS WINS!!! TWU is just rediculous. Once a Union gets involved it is really stupid. Just reminded me of Walmart. Loved it that they just decided to shut down the unionized Walmart. Teach them a lesson.

I usually don't like Walmart, and but I thought that was hilarious what they did, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It remains to be seen whether it was legal or not (so don't go flaming me over that one), but IMO, I thought it was a good thing.

[baggio4eva]

McDonalds and walmart are notorious for closing locations down that are threatened with a union. They figure closing them down then opening another one down the street is cheaper than dealing with a union haha. Gotta love the corporate world.

Later

[VTECMAN]

Originally posted by acidcomplex
ha you idiot,

Namecalling is not nice.

[Xirc]

Originally posted by Poseidon
Unions have no purpose anymore. They only have $$$ on the mind.

Unions have a purpose. Their purpose is to represent employees in pursuit of fair treatment and employment.

The problem is that many (but not all) unions have gone beyond their real mandate. Now, instead of representing employees, they try to control the organization and run the business. They try to control techological innovation, geographic location, organizational structure, etc. These are simply not issues that the union should be in control of.

I have no problem with unions that realize their true purpose and there are many that work this way. I do have issues with unions that think their purpose is to control the business and simply ask for more more more every time the collective agreement expires.

[guerilla wave]

I have seen nothing to indicate that the TWU has tried to control any aspect of the business except as it pertains to the fair treatment of employees.

As for asking for more, well considering Telus has doubled their share price in the last year (bringing it back to where it was when Entwistle took over, I might add...)
and has $900 Million in cash, and estimates it will have $1.3 Billion in cash by this time next year; as well as paying Mr. Entwistle $5.5 Million last year in salary and bonuses, I think that for Telus to ask for MORE by clawing out of their employees is reprehensible.

If you understood the history and language of the collective agreement, which the company has arbitrarily chosen not to fully honor any more, you would know that what their current offer effectively seeks to accomplish is to move it's employees back approximately 30 YEARS from where we are now.

You ought to consider that better working conditions and fair play in unionized corporations, raises the standard of working conditions for ALL employees, union or not, in all sectors of the marketplace as they must compete for valuable employees by improving conditions to bring them in line with competitors who offer the kind of benefits a union brings to their workforce.

[Xirc]

Originally posted by guerilla wave
I have seen nothing to indicate that the TWU has tried to control any aspect of the business except as it pertains to the fair treatment of employees.

As for asking for more, well considering Telus has doubled their share price in the last year (bringing it back to where it was when Entwistle took over, I might add...)
and has $900 Million in cash, and estimates it will have $1.3 Billion in cash by this time next year; as well as paying Mr. Entwistle $5.5 Million last year in salary and bonuses, I think that for Telus to ask for MORE by clawing out of their employees is reprehensible.

If you understood the history and language of the collective agreement, which the company has arbitrarily chosen not to fully honor any more, you would know that what their current offer effectively seeks to accomplish is to move it's employees back approximately 30 YEARS from where we are now.

You ought to consider that better working conditions and fair play in unionized corporations, raises the standard of working conditions for ALL employees, union or not, in all sectors of the marketplace as they must compete for valuable employees by improving conditions to bring them in line with competitors who offer the kind of benefits a union brings to their workforce.

I believe there is a strong difference between fair treatment and excessive benefits. The benefits currently offered to TELUS employees in BC are beyond what you would find at any other telco or in any other field. They are beyond reasonable.

All TELUS wants is a reasonable contract. Something along the lines of what the competition has such as Shaw and Bell. Oddly enough, the Shaw contract was negotiated by the TWU. If the TWU truly believe that they need and deserve every clause in their current contract then they wouldn't be willing to commit Shaw employees to anything less.

I've worked for TELUS and I've worked for many other organizations. I've seen the difference in benefits and control and its absolutely shocking just how much TELUS employees are getting right now. Its quite insane.

BTW, profits belong to shareholders, not employees. Making money for shareholders is your job, thats what you're paid to do. If you want to share in that wealth then buy shares (as most employees do) and open your minds up to other methods of profit sharing such as variable pay (which TELUS is offering). Don't just expect big raises because you see a big net income. Not unless you also expect big pay cuts when the market turns.