December 23, 2019 - Check out the December 2019 issue of your magazine. 

Acting President Donna Hokiro addresses her thanks for a year of increased membership engagement, innovating changes, and improved connections within our Local.

December 19, 2019 - BC Telus employees (excluding COS) should remember that if your rotation has you working more than two Sundays in a calendar month, you are entitled to a premium for that shift:

Collective Agreement Article A5.10(b): “When a Regular full-time employee is assigned to work three (3) or more Sunday shifts in a calendar month, the employee will be paid a premium of one (1) times the employee’s basic hourly rate of pay for the third and any subsequent Sunday shift worked during that calendar month.” 

December 11, 2019 - Good Afternoon members. The Union has been hearing examples of members being instructed they are no longer allowed to use company time for a Bio Break, while other members report they are not having any “blow back”.

Examples have been given of members being told “Stop drinking so much water!” and “Your coffee and lunch are the appropriate times to use the facilities”. While it is possible to use one’s breaks to take care of “business” the reality is, when the urge hits, you may not be able to wait for a break.

November 29, 2019 - Check out the November 2019 issue of your magazine.

This November issue features experiences from our LDS program students, young members getting involved at the Next Generation Forum in Quebec, a call to join the Resistance in Alberta, latest news on Indigenous rights in Canada, and more!

November 29, 2019 - USW Local 1944 is pleased to announce the launching of your online store on the shopping platform Shopify. It’s never been easier to buy a comfy Local 1944 t-shirts, a snazzy hat, a beautiful Women of Steel scarf or keychain. What better way to support your Union in the workplace than to wear your colours on the job.

Visit our online store at https://shopusw1944.ca.

November 27, 2019 - As we have communicated to members previously, the Union filed grievances in 2013 and 2014 asserting that “Concierge” Reps had been underpaid by Telus due to an incorrect wage categorization of their job. In December 2018, the Union won this grievance at arbitration, and the arbitrator ordered Telus to compensate former Concierge agents at the proper wage rate.

November 12, 2019 - This is a reminder that the following provisions exist in our Local 1944 By-Laws:

Local 1944 By-Law Article IV 

“Section 5. No member shall be eligible for election as a Local Union Officer or election to a Unit position in any regular election or election to fill a vacancy unless:

November 8, 2019 - Three years ago, Shaw Cablesystems laid off 54 of our members in violation of the collective agreement and the TFR (Technical Field Representative) classification. By doing so, the company deliberately trampled on the seniority list. 

To this day, the Union is still battling through the arbitration process. More meetings with the company are scheduled in the new year.

October 31, 2019 - Check out the October 2019 issue of your magazine.

In this October issue, we honour Peter Massy, a beloved and fervent labour activist who helped shape our Local Union. Brother Massy died earlier this month and he is dearly missed by all those who had the chance to know him.

October 25, 2019 - On October 23 and 24, 2019, meetings were held in Langley and Burnaby respectively for Unit 60 members under the Vancouver/Richmond, Surrey/Langley and Abbotsford Shaw Collective Agreements. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss and vote upon a proposal to change the financial institution that members’ RRSP funds would be initially deposited at to the Bank of Montreal.

Each of the three Unit 60 bargaining units (Vancouver/Richmond, Surrey/Langley, and Abbotsford) decide independently whether the change is ratified for that bargaining unit alone.