Telus and TWU reach Tentative Agreement

[Sled]

http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pag...ticleID=2051597

Glad to see this.

Here's hoping that those of us who left the company in the last year or so get a piece of the pie, doubt it but it would be most welcome.

edit first link did not work

[FireFly]

Apparently the TWU wants Bruce Bell's head on a platter... essentially they've agreed to the contract I am currently working under, and Brucey-boy promised them a whole lot more....

[JiriHrdina]

Has there been any discussion about what they are going to do to ensure that those employees that crossed the line are not mistreated by the returning employees. Or is this even a concern?

[Sled]

Originally posted by JiriHrdina@Oct 11 2005, 12:47 PM
Has there been any discussion about what they are going to do to ensure that those employees that crossed the line are not mistreated by the returning employees. Or is this even a concern?

This is going to be a huge concern.

Just before I started at Mobility years ago. There was a mini lock out for just a couple of days. It was the end of a work day and the company gathered everyone and said "go home and be locked out or return to your desks to work." the majority left and over the weekend everything was resolved but the people who chose to stay were not so much persecuted but more ignored.

What kind of work environment would you have when it was primary shift work and nobody would trade shifts to help you or so much as say hi or answer any work related questions.

This time is around it will be different as there is a much larger base of personal that crossed but from what I understand they are in a minority.

[FireFly]

Originally posted by Sled@Oct 11 2005, 01:53 PM
This is going to be a huge concern.

Just before I started at Mobility years ago. There was a mini lock out for just a couple of days. It was the end of a work day and the company gathered everyone and said "go home and be locked out or return to your desks to work." the majority left and over the weekend everything was resolved but the people who chose to stay were not so much persecuted but more ignored.

What kind of work environment would you have when it was primary shift work and nobody would trade shifts to help you or so much as say hi or answer any work related questions.

This time is around it will be different as there is a much larger base of personal that crossed but from what I understand they are in a minority.

About 57% in Alberta have crossed. Some departments have more than others, but that says a lot of things....

[Incinerator]

Unions are useless for minimum wage slaves, the problem is that people who buys into that union propaganda don't realize this. These type of jobs are easily filled, if you start a labour dispute your employer is just gonna hire your replacement in 3 days. Any average Joe can answer phones and put you on hold forever while they reverse your mysterious $150 charge on the phone bill for 10 bucks an hour. The only people with leverage in a labour dispute is those who require specific training for their jobs like bus drivers, teachers, and those lazy fat fudges from NHLPA.

[ken0042]

Here's what I don't get; they apparently reached an agreement yesterday, and the union members will vote on it Oct 23rd.

Why wouldn't you vote on it now? Not wait 2 weeks? If I had been off work for 2 months I'd be in a hurry to get back to making money.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by Incinerator@Oct 11 2005, 02:13 PM
Unions are useless for minimum wage slaves, the problem is that people who buys into that union propaganda don't realize this. These type of jobs are easily filled, if you start a labour dispute your employer is just gonna hire your replacement in 3 days. Any average Joe can answer phones and put you on hold forever while they reverse your mysterious $150 charge on the phone bill for 10 bucks an hour. The only people with leverage in a labour dispute is those who require specific training for their jobs like bus drivers, teachers, and those lazy fat fudges from NHLPA.

Remember that next time you install your own telephone lines.

[Sled]

Originally posted by ken0042@Oct 11 2005, 01:28 PM
Here's what I don't get; they apparently reached an agreement yesterday, and the union members will vote on it Oct 23rd.

Why wouldn't you vote on it now? Not wait 2 weeks? If I had been off work for 2 months I'd be in a hurry to get back to making money.

Takes a little preperation to arrange a vote for 13,000 people approx spread across two provinces to ensure no tampering and that everyone is educated on the issues.

I would also say that some of the legalize needs to be polished in the typing of the agreement.

[Resolute 14]

Originally posted by FireFly@Oct 11 2005, 12:46 PM
Apparently the TWU wants Bruce Bell's head on a platter... essentially they've agreed to the contract I am currently working under, and Brucey-boy promised them a whole lot more....

I can believe it. When the union says it could be nine months before a settlement is reached, and suddenly a deal is announced less than three months into a strike, you know someone caved.

Given that residential service had already surpassed what the union members were offering pre-strike, and commercial service was rapidly catching up, I am not at all surprised that the union collapsed, and that Bell's future is likely to be short.

[Incinerator]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos@Oct 11 2005, 08:29 PM
Remember that next time you install your own telephone lines.

I don't have a land line, haven't had one for 8 years.

[Sled]

I'm guess the first group of people that got "sold out" is the group that I'm in. Former employees who worked several years without a collective agrrement and no wage increases for 4 years.

I'm ok with that because you have to take care of your own first. I was just hoping for a nice settlement to pay for some landscaping.

Incidently, the amount that I figured that was based on over time worked and past wage increases would but the money owed to someone with 4 years of work with out a collective agreement in around $10,000

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by Incinerator@Oct 11 2005, 02:47 PM
I don't have a land line, haven't had one for 8 years.

Okay fair enough.

Is it minimum wage flunkies that run your cell phone and internet connection? I doubt it. That was the point.

[FireFly]

Originally posted by Sled@Oct 11 2005, 02:48 PM
I'm guess the first group of people that got "sold out" is the group that I'm in. Former employees who worked several years without a collective agrrement and no wage increases for 4 years.

I'm ok with that because you have to take care of your own first. I was just hoping for a nice settlement to pay for some landscaping.

Incidently, the amount that I figured that was based on over time worked and past wage increases would but the money owed to someone with 4 years of work with out a collective agreement in around $10,000

Had you stuck around, you would've earned 5% of your entire wage as a lump sum payout. I've only been here 2 years and do not make the max and that's about $2500 for me. There are people getting $12-15000 lump sum payouts, although taxes will take half of that.

[Resolute 14]

Pretty sure it is the retroactivty that Sled is concerned about.

It is those former employees that really got screwed by the TWU's intransigence. Nearly every Telus employee I've talked to about this deal says they could have gotten this years ago.

[Sled]

Originally posted by fotze@Oct 11 2005, 02:24 PM
I don't understand what you are talking about. If I left my job tomorrow I would not get any future raises, why would I. Or is this some retroactive thing? Why would anyone give people who quit their company additional money. Maybe I don;t understand the union thing.

Having left the company, I get my inofrmation 2nd and 3rd hand but one of the big thorns that Telus had was that the contract had to go back to 1999 which was when the last agreement ended. That being said myself as a union dues pating member from 1999 to 2004 I would be entitled to any wages that were retroactivley set in place for these union people.

That's why I said the first people to get sold out or the ones who left the second group are the ones who stayed.

Anybody can figure out that it is better to accept and fight for retro payu as it comes down to 50 cents an hour raise every six months (old contract) this figure will pay much more in the long run as opposed to a lump sum signing bonus that Firefly has mentioned which I assume is the rumor.

The Union was fighting for me but obviously I understand that my group is the first to be sold out as I'm no longer a member. That being said if the lump sum payment is there it is a sell out to the existing members as I know for a fact that there are craft workers at Telus who figured out that same as I did that with over time and incrememtal pay raises that they are owed anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000 over the last six years.

[Sled]

I'm interested to see if the people who crossed get a vote. As I understand it those people are not members in good standing and forfeit all rights to vote on this agreement and any future ones. Again that is just my understand which may not be accurate.

The extra kick in the teeth is that they have to keep paying union dues but have no say. Again if firefly's numbers are accurate that means 43% will decide what the whole does when it comes to ratification.

[FireFly]

Originally posted by Sled@Oct 11 2005, 04:02 PM
I'm interested to see if the people who crossed get a vote. As I understand it those people are not members in good standing and forfeit all rights to vote on this agreement and any future ones. Again that is just my understand which may not be accurate.

The extra kick in the teeth is that they have to keep paying union dues but have no say. Again if firefly's numbers are accurate that means 43% will decide what the whole does when it comes to ratification.

There's a couple things floating around the office on this issue. First off, we are still in good standing until the tribunal determines otherwise.... That's one rumour. However, we would have to pay back union dues Telus did not take from our cheques during partial lockout procedures before the strike.

However, do the people on the inside want to vote with those on the outside? Seems like a recipie for violence to me. There would be no security, etc. I would suggest that even if we could vote, most would abstain anyways. I personally would vote against the offer just because I like the extra $30/day I'm making... But I'm a selfish bitch.

Regardless, 57% have already spoken loud and clear; they don't give a shinguard. Let's work.

[transplant99]

Remember that next time you install your own telephone lines.

TONS of companies run wire these days.

Hardly the necessity of unionized workers.

So was it worth it to the union to stay out for 4 months? Did they make up the lost money with gains in the new CBA?

LOL..its like the NHL/PA on a smaller scale. I will NEVER understand this mentality.

[Resolute 14]

Hell, I do all internal telephone cabling support for my company from the demark, including running the cable.

I've actually also troubleshot physical cabling problems on the other side of the demark (telus property) because they were too lazy to go out and check. I've even had to take a line to one of our stores that was cut, fix it in the ditch on the side of the road because Telus was too lazy to go out.

There is nothing unique or special about the skills TWU members posess.