Hello Members,

Since July 10th, when Telus announced its new Return to Office policy for about 1,000 members, and redeployed about 150 Ontario members to Quebec, USW Local 1944 has been relentlessly fighting these unjust decisions. Here’s a comprehensive update on our collective actions so far:

Rallies and Solidarity Events:

• Edmonton Rally: Held on July 21st, where members gathered to voice their opposition to the forced return to office.
• Toronto Rally: On July 27th, we marched from Telus' office at 25 York Street to Toronto City Hall, making our voices heard loud and clear.
• Burnaby Rally: On July 28th, members showed their strength and unity against the closures and mandates.
• Barrie Rally: On July 31st, we demonstrated our solidarity at Barrie City Hall, drawing significant local media attention.
• Montreal Rally: On August 3rd, we stood strong in Montreal, protesting the forced redeployment and demanding fair treatment, gaining widespread media attention.

Support from USW and the Labour Movement:

• Message from USW President: USW International President David McCall has publicly condemned Telus' actions. He expressed his unwavering support for our members and emphasized the union’s commitment to exploring every option to combat these directives. His leadership has been instrumental in galvanizing our efforts.

• Help from the International: The USW International has provided valuable legal and media assistance from the outset of this issue.

• Support from outside the USW: Numerous Unions and Labour Councils have promoted our cause to their members and the public on social media and elsewhere, including Barrie District Labour Council, Toronto and York Region Labour Council and others.

Legal Actions:

• Grievances Filed: In our ongoing battle, we have filed formal grievances regarding the Ontario office closure and the return-to-office mandate. These grievances are critical steps in fighting to protect our members' rights and jobs.

• Injunction Won: Taking our fight to the courts, we filed an urgent application with the British Columbia Supreme Court seeking an injunction against Telus' return-to-office directive. On August 8th, the Court granted our injunction, see press release here, and has delayed the Company’s Work From Office and redeployment plans, for a period of two months following appointment of an Arbitrator to hear our grievances. 

Political advocacy:

• Political Advocacy: Local leaders and members have met with numerous politicians at the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government to garner support. These political leaders are starting to take concrete action to help us, both publicly and in spreading our message within government.

• MP letter-writing campaign: Well over 2000 letters have been sent from members and the public to several Members of Parliament, drawing attention to Telus’ actions. Every time we meet with MPs they mention all the letters they’ve received from members.

• Reporting Initiative: We have launched an initiative encouraging employees and customers to report Telus to various regulators. This initiative aims to draw attention to the company’s unfair practices and build a broader base of support for our cause.
  
  
  Public Awareness:
• • Media Outreach: We’ve reached out to many press outlets and have received substantial media coverage of our issues :

  Steelworkers Protest in Montreal Against Telus’ Disguised Dismissal - CTV News Montreal
  Local MPs React to Planned Telus Call Centre Closure - CTV News Barrie
  Telus announces Ontario call centre closures affecting 150 Steelworkers - GlobeNewswire
  Union seeks injunction against Telus over forced return-to-office mandate - HR Law Canada
  B.C. court grants temporary injunction against Telus’s return-to-office directive - Financial Post
  B.C. court halts Telus' return-to-office mandate - Canadian HR Reporter
  Solidarity Rally for Telus Call Centre Workers in Toronto - Markets Insider

  • Telus, Your Story Campaign: A video campaign we are developing for members to Speak out about how Telus' actions are impacting you and your family. 

   

  But that’s not all; we have more actions planned. Our fight is far from over, and together, we will continue to stand strong and united against arbitrary and unjust treatment from Telus. To pressure Telus to reverse its recent decisions, we need all members participating in these and future Union actions! So please review the above ongoing actions and participate if you haven’t yet done so. And stay tuned for our next actions.

  Let’s let Canadians know the truth about Telus, and change the Company’s culture back to one that values and respects its employees.

  Also, please note that Local 1944 will be sending out a membership bulletin tomorrow with information about revoking your acceptance of a VSP, as is permitted by the BC Supreme Court’s ruling on the injunction. 

  In Solidarity,
  USW Local 1944