Telus Employees On Strike

[gonefishing]

Well its finally official all unioned Telus employees across Canada have been locked out. This really sucks becuase now i will living on a one income family becuase i guess they only get like $200 a week when their on strike and it could last monthes :(

[QuasarCav]

I can see them walking around outside!

What is this all about?

[rmk]

:werd: they were all over the downtown area along 1st SW. . telus doesn't give a shit about the people that work for them. my uncle had worked for them for more than 20 years in edmonton (since edtel) and they turfed him with nothing to show.

fuck telus. :guns:

[nosegrindR]

yea man it sucks we were supposed to work today but i heard this morning that it was a full fledged strike that the union is throwing.

it affects people that have debt and payments and etc....but for many of the students in bargaining unit, it's not too big of a concern...

you get paid 250$ a week to picket for 16 hours or something...not sure how that works

[sputnik]

If I worked for a union shop I would NEVER strike.

$250/week is hilarious... and in the end they are more often than not striking for an extra 2% salary increase. If they knew how to use a calculator they would realize that after they get their 2% increase they are actually losing money in the end.

Morons.

[gonefishing]

well from my understanding its mostly becuase of the employees in B.C that wanted this strike.

[Melinda]

Apparently the Telus employees have been without a contract for 5 years? I thought that had alot to do with it? Telus threatens a strike every few months and then something happens and the plans change. Hopefully this can be dealt with soon and everyone can get back to work

[afrotl]

yep we are on strike but no one knows if it is official or not cos some workers got called last night and others did not so some people are working and others are picketing. this is a messed up situation but I hope it is solved soon cos some of us have billes to pay.

[Ben]

Originally posted by Melinda
Apparently the Telus employees have been without a contract for 5 years? I thought that had alot to do with it? Telus threatens a strike every few months and then something happens and the plans change. Hopefully this can be dealt with soon and everyone can get back to work

Yeah, thats one of the main things thats for sure.

Holy christ am I glad I'm out of that Joke of a company, seem to have gotten out at the nick of time. That place is going down the shitter faster than I ever thought possible.

So much of it has to to with the union and their covering up of everything, they distort everything so that when it gets to the average employee, it always sounds like TELUS is a big evil company and that they cannot accept anything they offer. Most of the union are TELUS/AGT dinosaurs, and are so militant and on their own personal agendas anyways to help the company and union reach a cooperative.


I dislike unions like the TWU.

[E36M3]

Stop talking out of your ass. Telus has had an offer into the union for years, and the union refuses to allow Telus employees the right to vote on it.

The offer was finally circulated to the employees without the union's consent, and many of the employees want to vote on the offer so that they can get back to work.

In this case it is clearly the union which is inhibiting the process.

Strikes hurt everyone, the company, the shareholders, the employees and especially the customers. It is a complete farce.


Originally posted by rmk
:werd: they were all over the downtown area along 1st SW. . telus doesn't give a shit about the people that work for them. my uncle had worked for them for more than 20 years in edmonton (since edtel) and they turfed him with nothing to show.

fuck telus. :guns:

[k_dawg]

My friend's mom works at telus and she was telling me how they were suppose to go on strike tommorrow and start walking tommorrow but I guess it came sooner. I also talked to her and she said that with the strike the services from telus will be slower than before:rolleyes: :thumbsdow

[Idratherbsidewayz]

From what my friends step-dad told me, they haven't had a contract for the last 3 years. And if the strike is successful they will be paid for the 3 years that are missing from their cheques. But we'll see how it pans out.

[Ben]

Originally posted by k_dawg
My friend's mom works at telus and she was telling me how they were suppose to go on strike tommorrow and start walking tommorrow but I guess it came sooner. I also talked to her and she said that with the strike the services from telus will be slower than before:rolleyes: :thumbsdow

Well duh, you've now got the inept managers doing the jobs of his/her employees, and with maybe 20-30 employees per manager, it's gonna back up.

Most of the managers will likely have forgotten how to do the jobs of the employees also, making it even slower.

With strikes and lockouts, nobody wins, especially with this union, they're brutal.

Most of the shop stweards for this union are the typical "Office Hippies". They deliberatly dont follow dress standards, always wearing jeans and for the most part, unkept hair and whatnot. They go home early and come in late. They bitch whine and moan about EVERYTHING, and take full advantage of company resources. People like these guarantee a slow and painful resolution process. Dont get me wrong, I worked there for a number of years, and I'm sure there are decent, upstanding union representatives that work hard for both sides to resolve things quickly and painlessly, I just failed to meet one.

[mac_gurl]

Both my parents work for telus, so they are hoping it doesn't last too long.
Yet at the same time, after waiting for 5 years for a contract, they are hoping this will solve some things (mainly getting them a contract). They are just glad some action has finally come so they can get things over with.

[BloodBaneZXY]

Hrm, are people who do work at Telus going down today? I've been told that if I were to cross the picket line. I would be fined a hefty amount + I would be out of the union. I'm getting a lot of unclear messages from my managers, and there's nothing set in writing, so I'm a little unsure at the moment...

[k_dawg]

Originally posted by Ben


Well duh, you've now got the inept managers doing the jobs of his/her employees, and with maybe 20-30 employees per manager, it's gonna back up.

Most of the managers will likely have forgotten how to do the jobs of the employees also, making it even slower.

With strikes and lockouts, nobody wins, especially with this union, they're brutal.

Most of the shop stweards for this union are the typical "Office Hippies". They deliberatly dont follow dress standards, always wearing jeans and for the most part, unkept hair and whatnot. They go home early and come in late. They bitch whine and moan about EVERYTHING, and take full advantage of company resources. People like these guarantee a slow and painful resolution process. Dont get me wrong, I worked there for a numbe rof years, and I'm sure there are decent, upstanding union representatives that work hard for both sides to resolve things quickly and painlessly, I just failed to meet one.

I agree with everything you just said. Thats what my friends mom told me as well. Now she has to answer phones cause all the workers are gone.

[Primer_Drift]

A friend of mine also works for telus, he wasn't too concerned because he works another job also. Best thing for all involved would be a contract, which for many could mean thousands in back pay.:thumbsup:

[Ed the SOHC]

time to short sell Telus (t.to)...

sorry I don't mean to be an ass. I do feel for the families and people affected, especially on fixed incomes, but I will always hate Telus as a company.

[dufferson]

yes, then they will receive back pay for those years. Plus I heard that they want to outsource the call center to India or somewhere after the fact, kinda like what bell did.

[lint]

Originally posted by BloodBaneZXY
Hrm, are people who do work at Telus going down today? I've been told that if I were to cross the picket line. I would be fined a hefty amount + I would be out of the union. I'm getting a lot of unclear messages from my managers, and there's nothing set in writing, so I'm a little unsure at the moment...

You won't get anything in writing from management. It's up to you to find out the facts of what the union can or cannot do, as well as what Telus can or cannot do.

[lint]

Originally posted by dufferson
yes, then they will receive back pay for those years. Plus I heard that they want to outsource the call center to India or somewhere after the fact, kinda like what bell did.

The back pay is part of the contract settlement. And you need to check your facts on what Telus is proposing to outsource. Telus has employees in many areas that are not core to the telecom industry. (ie plumbers, painters, etc) If you really think about it, call center positions, core to maintaining service levels, would be the last thing to be outsourced. They want to outsource non core positions and retrain and redeploy those workers into other positions. Employment security is part of the CBA: There will be no layoffs as a result of outsourcing.

[BloodBaneZXY]

Thing is, I've heard a lot of mixed information. Ultimately my manager has told me that we won't get fined, nor kicked out of the union in the event that we do cross the picket line. Taken into consideration that managers get paid based on our attendance I can see his information being slightly swayed. I'll probably head down to work and play it by ear now..

[benyl]

Haha, stupid BC Union.

Basically, the merger between BCtel and AGT is the cause of this.

To your point Lint, Call Centres are not part of TELUS's core business and does not fall under the TELUS values.

Data, Mobility and IP. That is what is considered TELUS's core business. Why do you think they sold all the buildings they owned a few years ago? Because real estate is not part of the core. They also sold their interest in Yellow Pages, again, not part of the core (although you would think it was).

What is funny is that they have a full time carpenter on payroll! He still has his job because of the Union.

[kiwi]

hee hee, I saw a group of people carrying around signs that said "Locked Out" across from the Heritage Station today... what are they doing there?

[lint]

Originally posted by benyl
Haha, stupid BC Union.

Basically, the merger between BCtel and AGT is the cause of this.

To your point Lint, Call Centres are not part of TELUS's core business and does not fall under the TELUS values.

Data, Mobility and IP. That is what is considered TELUS's core business. Why do you think they sold all the buildings they owned a few years ago? Because real estate is not part of the core. They also sold their interest in Yellow Pages, again, not part of the core (although you would think it was).

What is funny is that they have a full time carpenter on payroll! He still has his job because of the Union.

I'm speaking from the TM side, and the call center is part of our core, because service and service levels are our differentiators. Data, IP are growing parts of the business, and retraining and redeployment could happen in these areas.

There is more than just one carpenter on the Telus payroll...

[afrotl]

Originally posted by kiwi
hee hee, I saw a group of people carrying around signs that said "Locked Out" across from the Heritage Station today... what are they doing there?

i think there is a TELUS CO (central Office) in Heritage

[2.0turbo]

Thank god I have nothing to do with tellus. I figured they were fucking idiots about 2 years ago and deal with them.

[Godfuader]

Might be a bad time to ask but, how is the company operating now? scab workers? and dont the scab workers get a premium for working thru adversity?

[awd]

"Awesome", the service is shitty enough when they are at 100%.

Maybe its time I switched over to shaw digital.

[DarkDream]

also apparently they increased wage of everyone working during the strike.....

Its 1500 dollars a week if you work monday to friday 8AM-6PM
ANd also from what i heard darren enthwistle(SP???) is known for abolishing unions in companies in the UK....... not sure if its true or not.....

But from what people said above.... yes, there is definitely alot of rumors as well as mixed messages going around...... casue managers saying one thing and the union representatives saying another.......

[lint]

Originally posted by DarkDream
also apparently they increased wage of everyone working during the strike.....

Its 1500 dollars a week if you work monday to friday 8AM-6PM
ANd also from what i heard darren enthwistle(SP???) is known for abolishing unions in companies in the UK....... not sure if its true or not.....

But from what people said above.... yes, there is definitely alot of rumors as well as mixed messages going around...... casue managers saying one thing and the union representatives saying another.......

Where the fuck are you getting your info from?

The increase in wage is the raises that they would get with the new CBA. There are no incentive bonuses to coming to work. Other than actually earning an income.

And Darren can't abolish the union, only the union membership can abolish the union.

[Ed the SOHC]

Originally posted by DarkDream
also apparently they increased wage of everyone working during the strike.....

Its 1500 dollars a week if you work monday to friday 8AM-6PM


ummm... somehow I don't think Telus workers make that much. That's like $75,000/year. I'd join Telus just to strike!

[DarkDream]

Yes i understand what you mean how darren can't abolish the union..... Maybe we have a misunderstanding..... What i mean is I think darren did something to make the union uneffective.... and also Look what happening to telus right now we have been without a contract for 5 years obviously Darren know what the hell he is doing hes not stupid.....

and as for the wage this came from my g/f she was at work today and the manager handed out how much they would get paid if they worked that schedule... What i think darren is doing is to tempt as many people to work as possible casue man people are working more then the usual 8 hours and there is like alot of inbound calls coming in they are really understaffed!!!

also he is not going to continue to pay people this much its most likely going to be a short term.......

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by sputnik
If I worked for a union shop I would NEVER strike.

$250/week is hilarious... and in the end they are more often than not striking for an extra 2% salary increase. If they knew how to use a calculator they would realize that after they get their 2% increase they are actually losing money in the end.

Morons.

Sometimes, its more than just the money. Working conditions, benefits, pay, and the overall treatment of employees are all reasons to strike. This will hit Telus much harder than the employees, as most will likely be able to hold out for a month or so on the $1000 they are receiving.

[lint]

Originally posted by DarkDream
Yes i understand what you mean how darren can't abolish the union..... Maybe we have a misunderstanding..... What i mean is I think darren did something to make the union uneffective.... and also Look what happening to telus right now we have been without a contract for 5 years obviously Darren know what the hell he is doing hes not stupid.....

and as for the wage this came from my g/f she was at work today and the manager handed out how much they would get paid if they worked that schedule... What i think darren is doing is to tempt as many people to work as possible casue man people are working more then the usual 8 hours and there is like alot of inbound calls coming in they are really understaffed!!!

also he is not going to continue to pay people this much its most likely going to be a short term.......

Please provide examples where Darren made the union ineffective. A union becomes ineffective when they are not heping the employees, not doing what's in the best interests of the employees. Case in point the NHLPA, where they lost a season AND came out with a deal that was worse than what was tabled before they sat out and lost a years pay.

Telus proposes that the new CBA that they are proposing expire in 2010, 5 years from now. Did you know that the union wants the new CBA to expire at the end of 2006. So they want to go through all this again next year.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

I hate unions, what a bloody waste of time for everyone involved. Unions are about as handy-dandy useful as a third nipple in an econo-cultural climate such as Alberta. With the sheer amount of jobs here, if people get treated poorly, they get a different job. Simple.

[theken]

so wuld now be the time to call them up and see if they can get me a better phone? i am on contract and want a better phone so i am thinking now would be a good time cause they wont give a fack

[Mr_John]

Is this the reason why my internet keeps crapping out?
It started last night and is getting worse and is annoying.

[Xtrema]

Either it's a tactic or may be there's some truth, the union has urge members to find other jobs during strike which won't affect their stirke pay.

Anyhow, the government should step in and force people back to work, when a company held such important infrastructure for the public.

Both side won't budge because Telus wants to get rid of the union and union is fighting for their survival. With unions, Telus can't stay competitive with companies like Shaw.

[benyl]

Originally posted by theken
so wuld now be the time to call them up and see if they can get me a better phone? i am on contract and want a better phone so i am thinking now would be a good time cause they wont give a fack

hahaha, do you think phones are free? TELUS mobility is what keeps the company in the Black. They won't give you a free phone until your contract expires and you sign another one for at least 2 years.





DarkDream, you obviously don't know anything about Entwistle. He started his career as a lineman installing phone lines. He knows what the Union workers do as he has done it himself. He is a very smart man and is doing what is best for the company. 3-4 years ago, TELUS was a hole. All its employees were overpaid (including managers) for the amount they produced. TELUS was a fat cat that needed trimming.

Darren right sized the company, made some smart aquisitions and divested non core business. He also conned Rogers into buying Fido. TELUS is doing what is best for the share holders, who he ultimately answers to. The stupid Union called for him to resign when the stock was at $5. Look at it now, 3 years later it is at $42.

He is trying to make sure that TELUS doesn't get crippled by the Union like other companie have (Ford, GM, Chrysler come to mind).

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by theken
I hate unions, what a bloody waste of time for everyone involved. Unions are about as handy-dandy useful as a third nipple in an econo-cultural climate such as Alberta. With the sheer amount of jobs here, if people get treated poorly, they get a different job. Simple.

Yup, if you don't like the job that you've invested 30 years into - perhaps you don't like it because some young manager is trying to make a name for himself by screwing over his department - perhaps the manager's way of doing things isn't chared by other managers - perhaps you are getting paid 15K less because you are a woman .....

Yup. it's fucken wrong to consider a union, just pack your bags and find another job, maybe take you talents to the USA......Yup, the brain drain is good for all of us Canucks, eh!

[kenny]

Originally posted by Ed the SOHC


ummm... somehow I don't think Telus workers make that much. That's like $75,000/year. I'd join Telus just to strike!

Haha yeah! Are they hiring? :)

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by Tyler883


Yup, if you don't like the job that you've invested 30 years into - perhaps you don't like it because some young manager is trying to make a name for himself by screwing over his department - perhaps the manager's way of doing things isn't chared by other managers - perhaps you are getting paid 15K less because you are a woman .....

Yup. it's fucken wrong to consider a union, just pack your bags and find another job, maybe take you talents to the USA......Yup, the brain drain is good for all of us Canucks, eh!

So, shelling out money to the union fat cats solves all those problems? The brain drain disappeared? Women are paid exactly equal? The unions abolished uppity managers?

Sorry, time to step out of the fantasy world. None of the above is true, you pay your $120/mo or so, and some union exec goes home rich. Great system, huh? When was the last time you saw your union put your hard-earned dollars to good use for you?

[Tyler883]

Sorry man, if I have to take the side of a manager that is screwing over his entire department, you are not going to get me to agree with you.

[lint]

Originally posted by Tyler883

Yup. it's fucken wrong to consider a union, just pack your bags and find another job, maybe take you talents to the USA......Yup, the brain drain is good for all of us Canucks, eh!

You again, eh?

This has to be one of the most retarded pro union arguments I've seen. Brain drain? Is there some hidden union of nuclear physicists some where? How about the chemical engineers? This is organized labour, not organized brain power.

Reality check!

[benyl]

Originally posted by Tyler883


Yup, if you don't like the job that you've invested 30 years into - perhaps you don't like it because some young manager is trying to make a name for himself by screwing over his department - perhaps the manager's way of doing things isn't chared by other managers - perhaps you are getting paid 15K less because you are a woman .....

Yup. it's fucken wrong to consider a union, just pack your bags and find another job, maybe take you talents to the USA......Yup, the brain drain is good for all of us Canucks, eh!

I will repeat the sentiments of another CEO:


Originally posted by rage2
Tyler883, you're an idiot.

There has been research done to say the Brain drain isn't happening.

The big losers with a strike are the workers. This has been proven time and time again. Ask the bus drivers that went on strike a few years ago how they feel. They got a shittier deal, lost wages for a bunch of months and are further behind than when they started.

Just you wait and see, the Unions that are crippling the big 3 will likely put them out of business and those workers will all lose their jobs. Ford spent $6 Billion dollars on health care for its workers... $1,500 is tacked onto each and every car to pay for that.

It isn't cheaper workers that is pushing manufacturing overseas. It is overpaid workers here.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by Tyler883
Sorry man, if I have to take the side of a manager that is screwing over his entire department, you are not going to get me to agree with you.

I'm not saying to take his side, I'm saying that union or no union, an idiot manager is still an idiot manager. They're a fact of the workplace. If there's no union, there's a good chance he'll be fired. With a union in place, it's a lot tougher for the company to get rid of him, due to the union regulations. I've seen idiot slackers hold well-paying jobs for a long time because the union regs didn't let the company just fire him.

Unions can have their advantages in certain situations, I'm just not convinced that they're even nearly worth the amount of money pumped into them.

Unions are crippling major North American corporations to the point of collapse. The Big 3 automakers are a great example. If it wasn't for the exorbitant amounts that auto workers are required to be paid, domestic vehicles would cost thousands less, and provide a very effective competition to the cheaply imported vehicles. Henry Ford was a staunch detractor of unions, and his company flourished. Now it's forced to unionization, and it's going down the tubes.

Thanks, unions.

[DarkDream]

Originally posted by benyl

DarkDream, you obviously don't know anything about Entwistle. He started his career as a lineman installing phone lines. He knows what the Union workers do as he has done it himself. He is a very smart man and is doing what is best for the company. 3-4 years ago, TELUS was a hole. All its employees were overpaid (including managers) for the amount they produced. TELUS was a fat cat that needed trimming.

Darren right sized the company, made some smart aquisitions and divested non core business. He also conned Rogers into buying Fido. TELUS is doing what is best for the share holders, who he ultimately answers to. The stupid Union called for him to resign when the stock was at $5. Look at it now, 3 years later it is at $42.

He is trying to make sure that TELUS doesn't get crippled by the Union like other companie have (Ford, GM, Chrysler come to mind).

I never said i did.... if you refer to my first post i mentioned that i heard it from someone and was unsure if it was true are not and just wanted people to know what i have heard....

as for the 1500dollars/week......

its kinda like a combination of things to make it 1500 a week before taxes if you do work those hours i said earlier...... b/c since there is commission telus automatically gave everyone 100% to target if they work.. and overtime is being paided out x2 of wage.... plus other things

[sputnik]

Originally posted by benyl

DarkDream, you obviously don't know anything about Entwistle. He started his career as a lineman installing phone lines. He knows what the Union workers do as he has done it himself. He is a very smart man and is doing what is best for the company. 3-4 years ago, TELUS was a hole. All its employees were overpaid (including managers) for the amount they produced. TELUS was a fat cat that needed trimming.

Darren right sized the company, made some smart aquisitions and divested non core business. He also conned Rogers into buying Fido. TELUS is doing what is best for the share holders, who he ultimately answers to. The stupid Union called for him to resign when the stock was at $5. Look at it now, 3 years later it is at $42.

He is trying to make sure that TELUS doesn't get crippled by the Union like other companie have (Ford, GM, Chrysler come to mind).

A good friend of mine was at one time a VP at Telus. He also started with AGT 25 years ago as a lineman. Worked hard to the point where he was a VP. He is an amazing guy with tons of integrity. He has tons of stories about union contracts and how dirty the union would deal with management (basically assuming that they were all out to screw the employees), but in the end the lack of raises were due to the fact that the company just couldnt afford it. So bonuses (instead of raises) were offered as long as the company reached its goals.

You have to understand that management must answer to the employees and ALSO the shareholders. If you piss of the shareholders your stock goes down and you are forced to cut staff. If you give everyone raises your profit drops, causing your stock to drop, which will result in more layoffs. It is a double edged sword which the union doesnt know how to properly wield.

[PGTze]

From what I understand in talking with several telus emplayess out in the field, all this BS started when they got a new President about 5 years ago. When he took over the company was in shambles and to right the ship he basicly fucked over a ton of employees with layoffs and wage cuts and such. He made Telus profitable again, but screwed over most of the employees in the company. I can't remeber thename of this guy, I wonder if anyone can shed light on this?

[benyl]

Originally posted by PGTze
From what I understand in talking with several telus emplayess out in the field, all this BS started when they got a new President about 5 years ago. When he took over the company was in shambles and to right the ship he basicly fucked over a ton of employees with layoffs and wage cuts and such. He made Telus profitable again, but screwed over most of the employees in the company. I can't remeber thename of this guy, I wonder if anyone can shed light on this?

That would be Darren Entwistle. The current CEO.

The lay-offs were acutally voluntary and more people took the package than were anticipated (so much for the Union Loyalty). That is why TELUS service has been so shit in the last few years, because they have had to hire people to replace people that weren't expected to leave. He did axe a bunch of managers, but according to the Union lovers on this site, those aren't real people with real families, with real kids to feed, so who cares right?

[Ben]

I think people who havent worked for the company and have no direct first hand experience need to stop commenting about stuff they know nothing about. Assumptions are one thing, experience and factual knowledge about it is another.

I am honestly surprised how much of a pro-union forum this seems to be turning out to be.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Ben
I am honestly surprised how much of a pro-union forum this seems to be turning out to be.

Don't worry. It isnt really that pro-union. It is just a bunch of uneducated disgruntled workers who are mad at the fact that they are only making $12/hr and their bosses are making more.

At the end of the day the "pro-union people" are the same lazy faggots that dont have the balls to quit the job in which they are "getting screwed over" and find a better job with a better work environment.

Can complain about the grave that you dug yourself.

[BloodBaneZXY]

Yeah that $1500 number is about right, taken into account the employees are getting 100% targets + some overtime wages, so it works out to be a good amount of cash.

[DannyO]

Originally posted by Ben
I think people who havent worked for the company and have no direct first hand experience need to stop commenting about stuff they know nothing about. Assumptions are one thing, experience and factual knowledge about it is another.

I am honestly surprised how much of a pro-union forum this seems to be turning out to be.

+1

My mum works for telus, and so I know some of the truth and theres alot of misinformation in this thread, that 1500 a week is wrong, nobody will make that unless they normally make close to that per week, one thing telus did do was phone alot of there recently left workers to offer them a hefty amount of money to come back and work until the strike is over.

Bloodbane, you should be fine to cross the picket line and go back to work, I don't know what position your in, but you really can't be fired, the union has been taking down names of anyone going back to work, and at the end will probably ask for those people to be fired (cos they weren't backing up the union) but I highly doubt telus are going to do that, well I do know a situation that would guarantee you not to be fired but I don't think I can say why, anyway also as for the fine, people have been saying you can be charged upto $1000 per day, which is bollocks, they can fine you upto a total of $1000, and even then they can't actually get you to pay it.

[Shaolin]

A buddy of mine works for Mobility and apparently some parent took their kid and pulled a Tiananmen Square on his Jeep..

I don't know about Telus, but if they are paying call center guys almost 50 a year, something is wrong. Unions don't promote ambition, just laziness and expectations. Everyone has a choice.

[rage2]

I personally think this union crap is pure BS. While I don't know much about the Telus situation or history of this strike, but I do know that if you're not happy, GO FIND A NEW JOB. Fuck, how hard is that? If you get shitty pay at one job, YOU FIND A NEW ONE. If your skills are worth keeping by Telus, they'll pay you more. If you're willing to leave and Telus isn't doing anything about it, that means you suck anyways, and not worth the money.

All these guys whining and picketing with their BS wanting more more more... fuck guys, if you're reading this, TELUS SERVICE SUCKS even when you guys were working there. You DO NOT deserve more money until you do a better job. How can you even ask when customers are leaving left and right? We had a small/mid sized account with Telus, 50k/month of business, and our lines died for 2 weeks. We lived off cell phones. Can't get a hold of anyone. Great service by the employees :thumbsdow and yet, they should be paid more. Idiots.

More money... look at GM. Give employees more and more money, and they're like so fucked financially and can't do shit about it. Fucking unions. They make employees leeches and employers can't do shit about it.

[Redlyne_mr2]

That's right, unions will be the death of the North American Economy. Look at how successful Japanese automakers are. Why? Because they don't have gay ass UNIONS.

ON a lighter note has anyone used 411 lately? It's hilarious, before the strike they were always professional and by the book. Now the wait time for a number is like 5 minutes and they have some guy look up a number who is swearing and using slang. It's as if they went down to the mustard seed and grabbed whoever they could to throw on the phones. It's awesome lol.

[rage2]

Sweet! Time to record some funny prank calls!

[Weapon_R]

If it weren't for unions, anyone who doesn't own their own business would be eating off the floor right now, that is if they were lucky enough to have a lunch break while at work.

Unions have their place in society, and they have done tremendous work for the working class. Anyone who doesn't agree is a fucking moron. Sure, unions today have overstepped their boundaries, but most are put in place through the collective agreement of the employees to protect them. It gives employees more job security and greater working conditions. Without them, half of you guys would be working for min. wage.

[lint]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
If it weren't for unions, anyone who doesn't own their own business would be eating off the floor right now, that is if they were lucky enough to have a lunch break while at work.

Unions have their place in society, and they have done tremendous work for the working class. Anyone who doesn't agree is a fucking moron. Sure, unions today have overstepped their boundaries, but most are put in place through the collective agreement of the employees to protect them. It gives employees more job security and greater working conditions. Without them, half of you guys would be working for min. wage.

I've never worked for a union and I haven't made min wage since I was 14. Without unions, we would have a true free market when it comes to employment, and people would be paid what they're worth not what they BELIEVE they are entitled to. I want to make more money, I work harder, I learn new skills, I look for the opportunities to capitalize.

Unions do not protect the employees. Unions are in place so that unskilled workers can strike to get more money than they're worth.

"Gee that manager who has a degree and an MBA is making more money than me with a HS diploma. That's unfair. Let's strike!"

"Gee those hockey team owners who have built empires and made shit loads of money wih their business savvy make billions, while I'm making piddly millions. That's unfair. Let's strike!"

Yeah, unions have done soooooooooooo much good.

Whoops, forgot to add, according to you, I am a fucking moron.

[BloodBaneZXY]

Uh, I'm pretty sure that the 1500 per week is pretty accurate..

10.34 (new wages were implemented on Thursday) + 100% TTC = Double pay

That's 20.68 x 8 hours a day = $165.44
Then overtime wages = ~$30 x 2 = $60

That's $225.44 x 6 days a week (Saturdays are optional at the moment) = $1352.64

Then taken into account that they pay for all employees food now, and I more than likely piss away a significant amount of cash at Sunterra weekly, it's damn near $1500 haha.

So somewhat close to $1500 or so, at least that was the message conveyed to the entire team by the managers while Darren Entwistle was with us.

He was nice enough to walk a lot of the employees outside to their cars past the picket line, which was an awesome gesture.

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by lint


I've never worked for a union and I haven't made min wage since I was 14. Without unions, we would have a true free market when it comes to employment, and people would be paid what they're worth not what they BELIEVE they are entitled to. I want to make more money, I work harder, I learn new skills, I look for the opportunities to capitalize.

Unions do not protect the employees. Unions are in place so that unskilled workers can strike to get more money than they're worth.

"Gee that manager who has a degree and an MBA is making more money than me with a HS diploma. That's unfair. Let's strike!"

"Gee those hockey team owners who have built empires and made shit loads of money wih their business savvy make billions, while I'm making piddly millions. That's unfair. Let's strike!"

Yeah, unions have done soooooooooooo much good.

Whoops, forgot to add, according to you, I am a fucking moron.

Yes, that would seem to be the case apparently..

Despite you not being part of a union (and neither have I), they have been responsible for improving work conditions for all people unilaterally. Try looking at the bigger picture a little.

[afrotl]

Originally posted by BloodBaneZXY
Uh, I'm pretty sure that the 1500 per week is pretty accurate..

10.34 (new wages were implemented on Thursday) + 100% TTC = Double pay

That's 20.68 x 8 hours a day = $165.44
Then overtime wages = ~$30 x 2 = $60

That's $225.44 x 6 days a week (Saturdays are optional at the moment) = $1352.64

Then taken into account that they pay for all employees food now, and I more than likely piss away a significant amount of cash at Sunterra weekly, it's damn near $1500 haha.

So somewhat close to $1500 or so, at least that was the message conveyed to the entire team by the managers while Darren Entwistle was with us.

He was nice enough to walk a lot of the employees outside to their cars past the picket line, which was an awesome gesture.

Yes you are right I was part of the group he led on Friday when we got off work he actually stood there and shook every ones hand as we went outside. and said thank you.

[lint]

Originally posted by Weapon_R


Yes, that would seem to be the case apparently..

Despite you not being part of a union (and neither have I), they have been responsible for improving work conditions for all people unilaterally. Try looking at the bigger picture a little.

Right. The bigger picture is that unions HAD their place in history. They don't anymore. And if you can't see that, you must be a fucking idiot.

And really, "they improved the work conditions for all people unilaterally?"

Do you know both sides of this case? Do you know the position of the union? The position of Telus? The key issues? And more importantly the key issues that are in disagreement? I believe I have a pretty good grasp of it. And if the working conditions were horrendous, if they were paid piddly, if they were being treated unfairly, union or not, I would give them my support. But like the whiners in the NHL, it's not about the basics. Its about getting more than what you've earned, wanting to be on par, or above what others have who have worked smarter and accomplished more. It's about wanting absolute job security. It's about getting performance pay without having to perform.

I'm afraid that shit don't fly with me.

[Tyler883]

Sounds like you have to be really hard on luck to get any support from lint.

You have to be a piddly paid, unfairly treated worker, working in horrendous conditions before lint and his boys are going to give a shit.

[lint]

Originally posted by Tyler883
Sounds like you have to be really hard on luck to get any support from lint.

You have to be a piddly paid, unfairly treated worker, working in horrendous conditions before lint and his boys are going to give a shit.

You are correct. You on the other hand must have thrown our support behind those poor poor hockey players. Because $8 million just isn't enough fucking pay to slap a little frozen hockey puck around. And because they are part of a union. Doesn't matter what union, as long as it's a union then they must be getting shafted by management.

And by "his boys" I assume you mean anyone who's not afraid to fight their own battles, who've learned skills or gotten an education or gained experience, who are willing to work harder/smarter to advance their careers instead of complaining and waiting for someone to hand it to them on a silver platter.

[djayz]

hmmm anyone know if their service is going to get any better after this strike is over?
im so close to switching over to shaw cuz of the horrible internet service

its running so slow the last few days i cant even run two comps off it.

[Tyler883]

A "harder/smarter" worker like yourself will likely advance your career well beyond the level of education/ and skills that you have....and you will probably earn that right,too.

When you get there, I hope you get fucked over by an extremely arogant, idiotic manager, and you have to start all over again at another company.

Then maybe you will understand that a collective agreement is there to protect the "harder/smarter" workers, too.

[old&slow]

Originally posted by djayz
hmmm anyone know if their service is going to get any better after this strike is over?
im so close to switching over to shaw cuz of the horrible internet service

its running so slow the last few days i cant even run two comps off it.


I gave up on Telus a year ago. I had a land line and Highspeed Internet plus I had 3 Cells (family) with Mobility.
Now I have one cell left. Waiting for contract to expire.
I have land line and net service with Shaw(it's awesome) and 2 cell's with Rogers and one up coming.
Got tired of the poor service and automated features that never get u to the point of your call!!

Entwhistle is making inroads with the shareholders but ditching customers...which I figure has to backfire at some point!

[Tyler883]

I called them and reduced all my plans to a bare minimum, and told them that this strike will influence whether I re-instate my extras, or just take my business elsewhere.
The guy on the other side of the phone was very quiet.

[lint]

Originally posted by Tyler883
A "harder/smarter" worker like yourself will likely advance your career well beyond the level of education/ and skills that you have....and you will probably earn that right,too.

When you get there, I hope you get fucked over by an extremely arogant, idiotic manager, and you have to start all over again at another company.

Then maybe you will understand that a collective agreement is there to protect the "harder/smarter" workers, too.

Already been there and done that. My contributions were not valued by a former employer, so my recourse is to change jobs. Well, the one thing that you seem to forget is that unlike a union shop where seniority dictates your compensation, in the real free market world, your skills and experience dictate your compensation. Hence, I get paid more now than I did before. I also expect to do it all over again many times before my career is done. I have no expectations that I will be with one company until I retire. I will either get laid off due to economics, I will leave due to my own desire for new challenges, I will seek out better pay. I may have to deal with arrogant idioctic managers from time to time, but it's better than dealing with arrogant, idiotic union leaders, who are no better than the management that they fight so hard against. And like I've said time and time again, I don't need a stinking CBA, I can protect my own interests, develop the right relationships with my managers and guide the direction of my own career.

You keep bringing up that unions are here to help skilled workers. Why is it that there are no unions in management? I have yet to hear of an IT workers union, or a professional engineering union.

[Shaolin]

I'm with you lint.. I went through the same thing you did.. The company I worked for paid well below industry average.. O&G receptionists were making more than what I made. We never got our annual 3% raise, their excuse was we got bought out (every year). When I proved myself I got a 1000 dollar annual raise.. that worked out to just under 25 bucks a paycheck. So eventually Ifound another job.. I ended up going from directly reporting to the Controller at my old job to starting all over again at the new job. I sucked it up for 6 months but since my skills and experience were transferable, my employer compensated me for it.

But on another note, I feel unions are required in some places.. the problem is that unions crossed the line because they have too much power. I worked for a grocery store about 6 years ago, and I can't imagine what these lifers would be doing if they weren't in a unionized company. You have guys that make 18-20 an hour wrapping fucking meat or putting shit through a scanner, and they've done it for longer than I've been alive. Can you imagine where these people would be if their industry were not unionized? (IE. competitiors, related fields) These are the people that have no choice, they're like 45-50 years old and have no where to go.. In those situations I can see a union would help..

There has to be a balance because we're all fucking connected (which I have to suck it up and believe) because some joe schmo that lost his job, or go on strike in Canada will eventually infect me with their misfortune (IE. Welfare, crime, whatever it could be).

There's no point in getting angry over unions, it's up to the company to step up and say no to unions at the beginning and run their company so shit like this doesn't happen.

[SteveMo600]

I've read this whole thread and there are many people talking out of their ass because they don't know the whole situation at all. My dad is a VP for Telus and works with Darren Entwistle (Telus CEO) on a daily basis. The union is not properly representing the workers because they are not allowing the workers to vote on a proposed deal. This strike could last for a long time because the union isn't providing the workforce with all of the information.

The union told many media centres that a few dozen workers have crossed the picket lines to go back to work when really, just about half have. So many of the workers have been brainwashed by the union to think that they need to strike when really, it's going to get them nowhere.

If certain workers are so unhappy then just quit your fucking job and stop crying. If the working conditions were so bad, then why would so many people cross the lines to go back to work? Unions are the dumbest thing in society. People all of a sudden think they can get what they don't deserve through a union by striking. Maybe you should try working harder like so many other people in order to receive a better paying and more stable job.

Also, the picketers all had signs on them saying, "locked out," when really they weren't locked out at all. Telus has a contract to offer them and they haven't even voted on it becaue the union won't let them. Telus never locked anybody out, they're willing to negotiate with the workers.

This whole strike just amazes me and hopefully it will be over with soon cause my dad is pulling 12-13 hour days because of this queer union.

[afrotl]

Originally posted by SteveMo600
I've read this whole thread and there are many people talking out of their ass because they don't know the whole situation at all. My dad is a VP for Telus and works with Darren Entwistle (Telus CEO) on a daily basis. The union is not properly representing the workers because they are not allowing the workers to vote on a proposed deal. This strike could last for a long time because the union isn't providing the workforce with all of the information.

The union told many media centres that a few dozen workers have crossed the picket lines to go back to work when really, just about half have. So many of the workers have been brainwashed by the union to think that they need to strike when really, it's going to get them nowhere.

If certain workers are so unhappy then just quit your fucking job and stop crying. If the working conditions were so bad, then why would so many people cross the lines to go back to work? Unions are the dumbest thing in society. People all of a sudden think they can get what they don't deserve through a union by striking. Maybe you should try working harder like so many other people in order to receive a better paying and more stable job.

Also, the picketers all had signs on them saying, "locked out," when really they weren't locked out at all. Telus has a contract to offer them and they haven't even voted on it becaue the union won't let them. Telus never locked anybody out, they're willing to negotiate with the workers.

This whole strike just amazes me and hopefully it will be over with soon cause my dad is pulling 12-13 hour days because of this queer union.

:werd:
you should read read the TWU website their latest update.....these people are such immature idiots.

[djayz]

Originally posted by old&slow



I gave up on Telus a year ago. I had a land line and Highspeed Internet plus I had 3 Cells (family) with Mobility.
Now I have one cell left. Waiting for contract to expire.
I have land line and net service with Shaw(it's awesome) and 2 cell's with Rogers and one up coming.
Got tired of the poor service and automated features that never get u to the point of your call!!

Entwhistle is making inroads with the shareholders but ditching customers...which I figure has to backfire at some point!


yah i have land line with telus and its alright does what it needs to but i can get voip with vonage or someone and get a shitload more features but i need a cable line. Only reason why im still with telus is cuz ive been with them for close to 5 years for internet now and i do huge amounts of bandwith even with their slow speeds but i never get a phone call or anything so thats why im happy. But i think next month ill be on shaw just gotta go pick up my modem and get an installer over here.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Does anyone know where unions originated? My guess is North America, the land of the lazy and useless.

[nhlfan]

id like to say that the STARTING WAGE at a daimlerchrysler assembly plant is about 31 bucks an hour, 37 for skilled labour. those people are doing fine, trust me ;)

[nhlfan]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
Does anyone know where unions originated? My guess is North America, the land of the lazy and useless.
UK i think

[E36M3]

Unions are really an offshoot of trade guilds which have been around for quite some time. As far as I know, they originated in their current form in the early part of the industrial revolution.

I haven't done a lot of research on the web, but wikipedia has a decent overview:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_union#History


Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
Does anyone know where unions originated? My guess is North America, the land of the lazy and useless.

[kaput]

.

[SteveMo600]

Originally posted by kaput
Its too bad that Telus has to step up and pay their people more when they could put the money towards improving their cell coverage. I'm not saying the employees dont deserve it, but telus should be able to set its own wages and let the market decide if they are fair. I'm so pissy with all cell providers in calgary because telus, bell and fido have all failed to provide me with what I feel is an acceptable product. And I can never get a call through to a rogers customer because all their circuits have been busy for the last 7 fucking months!

I agree fully. I think that Telus should be putting more money towards improving coverage as well since Telus Mobility is where they make the bulk of their profit.

These people that are striking should either quit their job or cross the line and get back to work. 90% of the people that are striking are easily replaceable workers and really have no special skills at all, so they should be happy with their current position. Stop crying and decide IMO.

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by SteveMo600


.....90% of the people that are striking are easily replaceable workers and really have no special skills at all,.....

Do you have an proof of this? What are your sources?

[PGTze]

Originally posted by kaput
Its too bad that Telus has to step up and pay their people more when they could put the money towards improving their cell coverage. I'm not saying the employees dont deserve it, but telus should be able to set its own wages and let the market decide if they are fair. I'm so pissy with all cell providers in calgary because telus, bell and fido have all failed to provide me with what I feel is an acceptable product. And I can never get a call through to a rogers customer because all their circuits have been busy for the last 7 fucking months!

You know what they need to do that, employees.



Originally posted by SteveMo600


I agree fully. I think that Telus should be putting more money towards improving coverage as well since Telus Mobility is where they make the bulk of their profit.

These people that are striking should either quit their job or cross the line and get back to work. 90% of the people that are striking are easily replaceable workers and really have no special skills at all, so they should be happy with their current position. Stop crying and decide IMO.

That's pretty easy to say when your dad is the VP of the company and probably makes pretty darn good bucks. There are more people than you think that have specific skill sets directly applying to specialized departments (like fiber optics ect.).


I don't mean to sound like I'm completely siding with the employees, because I'm not, but I think some people are failing to see the importance of a union in some situations. Take this exaple for instance, your a 50 year old employee that has worked with the phone company for years, even back when alberta phone service was suplied by AGT. You have been loyal to the company for all those years, and now they want to impose a new contract on their terms without union aproval. I dunno, I wouldn't be too stoked about that.

On the flip side I do agree that TWU union leaders are not doing a very good job representing the union memebers best intrests.

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by PGTze



On the flip side I do agree that TWU union leaders are not doing a very good job representing the union memebers best intrests.

perhaps they are doing alot better than someone that thinks workers have "no special job skills", eh?

Geez, if a VP is stupid enough to generalize like that in front of his son, the Telus workers really do need a union.

[lint]

Originally posted by PGTze


You know what they need to do that, employees.




That's pretty easy to say when your dad is the VP of the company and probably makes pretty darn good bucks. There are more people than you think that have specific skill sets directly applying to specialized departments (like fiber optics ect.).


I don't mean to sound like I'm completely siding with the employees, because I'm not, but I think some people are failing to see the importance of a union in some situations. Take this exaple for instance, your a 50 year old employee that has worked with the phone company for years, even back when alberta phone service was suplied by AGT. You have been loyal to the company for all those years, and now they want to impose a new contract on their terms without union aproval. I dunno, I wouldn't be too stoked about that.

On the flip side I do agree that TWU union leaders are not doing a very good job representing the union memebers best intrests.

Sounding like a broken record here, but unless you know both sides (what the company is offering, what the union is countering) you really shouldn't be taking sides. To your point about loyalty, how're these apples: Under the new CBA that Telus is proposing, there will be NO layoffs due to contracting out of non-core jobs. NO LAYOFFS. ZERO. NONE. NADA. NOT ONE SINGLE LAYOFF. Instead, those employees will be retrained and redeployed to another area of the company. What does this mean, you may ask? EVEN IF YOUR JOB IS CONTRACTED OUT, YOU WILL STILL HAVE A JOB WITH TELUS. I don't know what that sounds like through union ears, but to just about anyone else it means EMPLOYMENT SECURITY.

Now what is the arguement against this? The plumber or the painter or the metal worker working for a TELECOMMUNICATIONS company, that might have a project to do every few months, will now have to learn a new skill and might actually be called upon to WORK a full day and a full week and so on and so on. Oh the humanity.

What you may also fail to realize that many of the new CBA points are ALREADY in place in AB. Because AB was never governed by the old BC Tel agreement, that the TWU is holding onto. Do you know what this means for AB employees? Under the new CBA, there will be employment parity with their BC counterparts. It means that for the first time, there will be a move towards equal pay for equal work. By striking, AB employees are essentially saying "Hell No! We don't want the NEW CBA. We don't want to be paid the same as our BC counterparts. We want to do the same work and be paid less! We want wage segregation!"

Does that make sense? No? If the new CBA proposed by
Telus is so bad, why won't the union leadership put it to a vote? If it's so bad, why won't the employees see through it? Why wouldn't the employees vote down a deal that they see unfit? Maybe it's not so bad after all.

[lint]

Originally posted by Tyler883


perhaps they are doing alot better than someone that thinks workers have "no special job skills", eh?

Geez, if a VP is stupid enough to generalize like that in front of his son, the Telus workers really do need a union.

You really like to talk out of your ass about these union matters when you obviously have no clue what the issues are. All you know is that it's a case of the dickhead managers trying to force their will on the poor unfortunate union employees. How about you open your fucking eyes and see that if the union was acting in ALL of the BU members best interests, that they would have put the proposal to a vote, instead of holding out so that they might be able to get a better deal for the minority who won't benefit as much as everyone else?

As for special skills.
Let's see, call center, requirements.
Do you know how to use a phone?
Do you know how to use a computer?
Do you know how to browse an information page on the intranet?
Do you know how to type in call notes?

That may be a simplified version, but that's all the "special skills" that you NEED for that position. You need soft skills, which are required of ALL customer facing jobs. you also need to learn the business and learn the products. Full training provided.

I don't discount that they play a very important role in the company. I've done customer support, and there are very few jobs that are as stressful and taxing as these ones, where you may need to listen to bitching clients hour after hour. But they don't need SPECIAL SKILLS.

[Tyler883]

Originally posted by lint


The plumber or the painter or the metal worker working for a TELECOMMUNICATIONS company, that might have a project to do every few months, will now have to learn a new skill and might actually be called upon to WORK a full day and a full week and so on and so on. Oh the humanity.



Is this another one of your conspiracy theories that other people are getting paid to do nothing?

This is Alberta, eh! People move here to from "do nothing" jobs so that they can work! I doubt that you know what an honest day's work is.

[Z24_3.1]

yeah my bros out of work to but its ok cuz hes a realtor on the side right

[lint]

Originally posted by Tyler883


Is this another one of your conspiracy theories that other people are getting paid to do nothing?

This is Alberta, eh! People move here to from "do nothing" jobs so that they can work! I doubt that you know what an honest day's work is.

Who the fuck are you to say otherwise? Where are your facts? Where does your information come from? I would make an educated guess and say out of your ass. Because I know you don't work for Telus management, I know you don't work for Telus BU. So who the fuck are you? Defender of the union way? Super TWU man?

And if you want to think that just because I don't care to work for a union that I've never done an honest day's work, be my guest. I've worked hard enough to complete my degree, and then worked hard enough to get another diploma. I've worked in shit jobs for shit managers, helped my former employers make shit loads of money. And here's the kicker: I've EARNED what I got. I didn't sit around and complain that a manager makes more money than me poor l'il me. I went out and got myself some SKILLS backed up by this thing called an EDUCATION, which for some strange reason makes me more VALUABLE to employers. Go figure eh? When you can do more, you get paid more. When you have specialized skills, you get paid more. When you continue to grow in your job and take on new challenges, you get paid more. I work with plenty of people who have made the jump from BU to management. They had the initiative, the desire to do more. And funny thing is, they're all young. Under 35. They didn't start working at Telus and say "Well, that's it. I'm done. Now I'm just going to do the same job until I die, and complain that I don't make as much as managers"

And here's the biggest funamental difference: I don't plan on working aat any job longer than 2 years. I KNOW that the experience and knowledge I gain will make me valuable to other companies. I don't NEED a company to take care of me long term, nor do I expect it. That went out with the industrial revolution.

So why don't you enlighten me and tell me what an honest days work is?

[PGTze]

Originally posted by lint

As for special skills.
Let's see, call center, requirements.
Do you know how to use a phone?
Do you know how to use a computer?
Do you know how to browse an information page on the intranet?
Do you know how to type in call notes?



My one example of where a specialized skill set is required had nothing to do with that (FOTS). I'm not talking about the people with no skills that sit in a cubical and answer phones. I agree those types of employees really are not all that important and are easily replacable.

How do you think telephone service gets to your house? It doesn't just magicly appear. There is more to Telecomunications then a call center.

[afrotl]

Originally posted by lint


Sounding like a broken record here, but unless you know both sides (what the company is offering, what the union is countering) you really shouldn't be taking sides. To your point about loyalty, how're these apples: Under the new CBA that Telus is proposing, there will be NO layoffs due to contracting out of non-core jobs. NO LAYOFFS. ZERO. NONE. NADA. NOT ONE SINGLE LAYOFF. Instead, those employees will be retrained and redeployed to another area of the company. What does this mean, you may ask? EVEN IF YOUR JOB IS CONTRACTED OUT, YOU WILL STILL HAVE A JOB WITH TELUS. I don't know what that sounds like through union ears, but to just about anyone else it means EMPLOYMENT SECURITY.

Now what is the arguement against this? The plumber or the painter or the metal worker working for a TELECOMMUNICATIONS company, that might have a project to do every few months, will now have to learn a new skill and might actually be called upon to WORK a full day and a full week and so on and so on. Oh the humanity.

What you may also fail to realize that many of the new CBA points are ALREADY in place in AB. Because AB was never governed by the old BC Tel agreement, that the TWU is holding onto. Do you know what this means for AB employees? Under the new CBA, there will be employment parity with their BC counterparts. It means that for the first time, there will be a move towards equal pay for equal work. By striking, AB employees are essentially saying "Hell No! We don't want the NEW CBA. We don't want to be paid the same as our BC counterparts. We want to do the same work and be paid less! We want wage segregation!"

Does that make sense? No? If the new CBA proposed by
Telus is so bad, why won't the union leadership put it to a vote? If it's so bad, why won't the employees see through it? Why wouldn't the employees vote down a deal that they see unfit? Maybe it's not so bad after all.



:werd:

and to top it off when there is an opportunity or an opening the union wants a person with seniority but does not have the skill set to be hired for the job instead of the guy with the skill set but not that much seniority. Now does that make any business sense?

[kaput]

.

[lint]

Originally posted by PGTze


My one example of where a specialized skill set is required had nothing to do with that (FOTS). I'm not talking about the people with no skills that sit in a cubical and answer phones. I agree those types of employees really are not all that important and are easily replacable.

How do you think telephone service gets to your house? It doesn't just magicly appear. There is more to Telecomunications then a call center.

You are right, there is more to a telecom than a call center, but the call center staff are part of the core of the business, at least at TM. Service is what is prided, and our managers, VPs, executives are very thankful for having such great people working for them. How many companies have VPs spending an hour a week sitting in the call center listening on calls to understand what the rep is saying and to stay in touch with what the customers are saying?

I use the call center example because they comprise the majority of the unionized workers.

[lint]

Originally posted by kaput
Its funny how they all still had LOCKED OUT signs when I walked past them at lunch. Geez I would fire them just for being so stupid. Sheep! I bet if I had a bigger microphone than the union guys I could get them all to walk to my house and fix my toilet.

They are no locked out, they are welcome to come to work anytime. There is a difference between Telus implementing lock out measures, and a full lock out. At no time has Telus told the employees that they are not allowed to come to work. The exception has been in BC where Telus has advised certain BU members to not come into work, for fear that they will be harassed by picketing workers.

[afrotl]

Originally posted by lint


They are no locked out, they are welcome to come to work anytime. There is a difference between Telus implementing lock out measures, and a full lock out. At no time has Telus told the employees that they are not allowed to come to work. The exception has been in BC where Telus has advised certain BU members to not come into work, for fear that they will be harassed by picketing workers.

:werd: and also for their own safety.................. in BC they are very militant and will resort to physical confrontation if you do not agree with them.

[Ben]

Well Said lint, finally someone with some proper insight.

[kaput]

.

[hedge]

Completely agree with Lint's comments.

[jdmakkord]

HAHAHAHA