Union seeks injunction over Telus back-to-office order

Editor's note: To read the Aug. 9, 2024 update on this news story, click here. The United Steelworkers union (USW) is seeking an injunction against Telus Corp. over the Vancouver-based telecom’s plans to have call centre workers return to work in office three days a week. Earlier this summer, Telus announced workers throughout Canada must return to the office on a hybrid basis or choose to take a buyout package – with some being told they would have to work from an office hours away. Workers in Barrie, Ont. were told their offices are closing and they must relocate to Montreal or take a buyout. “The impact of these changes on our members cannot be overstated,” said Jayson Little, USW staff representative in a news release about the request for an injunction. “We are deeply concerned about the discriminatory and disproportionate effects on vulnerable groups within our membership and we believe that the actions from Telus are in direct violation of the very laws designed to protect workers.” The union represents Telus workers across the nation. It also represents employees of Rogers Communications Inc. Both inside and outside workers are covered by the collective agreement. The injunction seeks to put a stop to Telus' hybrid work plan. Michael Phillips, president of USW local 1944, told The Wire Report there are “two tiers” to the issue. “The folks in Ontario are fighting against redeployment to Quebec; the folks nationally are fighting against having to report to the office three days a week.” Phillips said he has been meeting all week with federal MPs and members of the Ontario legislature to garner support for the workers’ cause. “I was obviously disappointed,” Barrie—Innisfil MP John Brassard told The Wire Report in a telephone interview. “It was just over a year ago… that Telus opened the call centre in south-end Barrie, in my riding.” The politician was at the grand opening of the centre. He said people were upbeat and the company was touting how employees could work from home or from the office. “Here we are just over a year later, 15 months later, and the facility is now closing,” Brassard continued. “So you can imagine how disappointed I am in this decision. But more importantly, I’m concerned about the families that are impacted by this decision.” Brassard and fellow Barrie-area MP Conservative Doug Shipley (Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte) sent a letter to Telus on Aug. 1 decrying the closure. “Everyone who was was impressed by not only the commitment Telus was making to its employees, but also how committed they were to Barrie,” the politicians wrote. “Yet here we are just over a year after the opening and 150 plus area families are now faced with the devastating news of potential job loss if they do not re-locate to Montreal.” The pair are imploring the telecom to meet with the union to try and iron out a solution. They want the closure order to be rescinded. “With great respect, it is unreasonable regardless of what is being offered in severance or moving allowances, to expect 150 families to simply pack up and move to another city and province and it is even more unreasonable that they have been asked to make this decision so quickly,” the MPs stated. The Wire Report received the following statement from Telus. "We are investing in our frontline team members with training, reskilling and new tools to modernize our capabilities to better serve our customers, including the requirement for frontline team members and their leaders to come into a contact centre office three days per week for enhanced collaboration and training, beginning this September," it reads. "We’re committed to continuing to work individually with these team members and the USW to answer their questions about this enhanced operations model. We hope our team is excited to evolve and grow with us but we understand that that is a personal decision each and every team member must make for themselves." A hearing on the injunction request will be held in the British Columbia Supreme Court on Aug. 7. — Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca This story was updated to include details on the letter sent to Telus by Brassard and Shipley.

Union seeks injunction over Telus back-to-office order

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By Paul Park
| July 31, 2024

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