Dear Members,
As your Secretary-Treasurer, I want to express how deeply disappointed I am with the ongoing failures of Telus in resolving their payroll disaster, which has now marked its one-year anniversary. I understand the severe frustration and hardship this has caused, and despite countless promises, Telus has yet to correct the situation.
On September 27th, many of our members received an email from Telus outlining a "simplified reconciliation process", along with a lump sum payment of $1,000. While we acknowledge this as a step in the right direction, the feedback we've received indicates that even this simplified process is riddled with errors. Telus has clarified that this payment is not intended to settle grievances directly.
This continued failure comes on top of Telus' severe job cuts, corporate restructuring, and the pressure placed on thousands of our members to accept voluntary severance packages.
To ensure you are fully covered, we strongly recommend the following best practices:
● File Grievances: If you are still experiencing payroll issues and haven’t done so already, file a grievance here. The Union needs all members to officially report these issues so we can continue to push for a collective resolution. Your individual grievance strengthens the overall case against Telus.
● Document your hours: Keep a log of your worked hours, including overtime and shift differentials. Having your own personal records to compare against your pay stubs makes tracking pay issues much simpler.
● Track pay issues: Maintain a file of all discrepancies in your pay. Note what was wrong, when it was wrong, and how you were impacted.
● Minimize personal impact: If your paycheck is missing pay, you can request an off-cycle payment to correct the issue. Management should be working to address these discrepancies quickly. Make sure to document interactions and update your file accordingly.
Policy Grievance Status
The Local is actively pursuing this matter, and the Arbitration regarding this payroll disaster is scheduled to be heard in January 2025. The arbitration process takes time and we will continue to fight for a fair resolution for all members and ensure that Telus is held accountable for their repeated failures.
We know this has been a long and painful road, but your Union will not relent. Telus, as a multi-billion-dollar company, has the resources to fix this, yet they continue to fail us. I urge you to document every discrepancy and file grievances where necessary.
In Solidarity,
Ross Brown
Secretary-Treasurer
USW Local 1944
