Monetary Clarification

We have taken down our wage calculator because some technical issues with it have come to light. However, we would like to address some confusion regarding the Company’s offer. While they are advertising 5.5% in the first year of the contract and a $10,000 lump sum, this is not entirely accurate. The table below illustrates the Company’s monetary proposal:

While the Company is giving 5.5% in 2023, it will not be for the entirety of that year and ignores that our members have not received a wage increase in 2022. Your last general wage increase was January 1, 2021, over 24 months ago. If accepted, the Company will provide a 3% increase upon ratification and then 2.5% in October of 2023. We are committed to giving the most accurate information to our members. Telus’ proposal is still a lower monetary offer than we have proposed, and their package does not offer a renewed Cost of Living Allowance clause.

Since there is so much mandatory discussion being had in the workplace between managers and the bargaining unit (you), we want you to have the complete picture of the actual monetary offers at the Bargaining Table. 

Prior to the last day of conciliation, we had a proposal on the Table of wage increases of 5% in each year of a three-year agreement retroactive to January 1, 2022.

On the last day of conciliation, we put forward a package that included wages, benefits, PDOs, TWPP, DHTs, and more. Our package would have resolved all outstanding issues. In addition, it would have pushed off many of the concessions Telus sought and made improvements in some areas. 

We told the Company that they could not cherry-pick what they liked from our package and reject what they didn’t like.

As part of the package, we proposed a monetary settlement of a 3% increase per year over five years, totalling 15% over the life of the Agreement. It would be retroactive to October 1, 2022. We also wanted the $10,000 lump sum upon ratification. This package constituted significant movement on our part in an effort to bring about a final and workable resolution to bargaining and was intended to get us to a place where we could recommend the offer. Our monetary movement, conditional upon acceptance of our whole package, is shown below:

As reasonable as our package was, Telus quickly rejected it without really giving it any thought.

As a result, our monetary position reverts to wage increases of 5% in each year of a three-year agreement retroactive to January 1, 2022. As shown here:

In Strength and Solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee