Rogers is the latest Canadian telco to lock out union workers after a breakdown in contract negotiations.
As reported by the Canadian Press, Rogers said it would lock out almost 300 former Shaw technicians on Monday after the workers notified Rogers they planned to start a series of rotating strikes at noon that day.
United Steelworkers (USW) union Local 1944 Unit 60 represents the former Shaw technicians in Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and Langley, B.C. The technicians were absorbed into Rogers as part of the merger from earlier this year.
The technicians’ concerns are largely about job security, as Rogers allegedly increased reliance on contractors. USW spokesperson Jayson Little told the Canadian Press that Rogers has maintained its bargaining position of contracting out union workers’ “long-established jurisdictional work,” as well as expanding what it would permit contractors to do.
The technicians also told the Canadian Press that the planned rotating strikes would have minimized the impact on customers, but the lockout will keep them off the job entirely.
The union called out Rogers’ commitment to create 3,000 new jobs in Western Canada over five years, contrasting the promise with recent job losses stemming from the company’s effort to reduce overlap after the Shaw takeover.
Rogers spokesperson Cam Gordon told the Canadian Press that the company’s goal “has always been to achieve a negotiated settlement that meets the needs of our employees and our customers, and we’ve presented a fair and balanced proposal that would grow the units and protect jobs. It’s really disappointing the union took this step and is misrepresenting facts.”
Workers and Rogers have been at the bargaining table since February, while the workers’ previous collective agreement expired on March 23rd. The Canadian Press also noted that the union asked workers to limit overtime last week, an effort to pressure Rogers to change its position. However, the union accused Rogers of retaliating by using “scab labour” to cover overtime needs.
Gordon told the Canadian Press that Rogers “activated our contingency plans so we can continue to carry out our critical work for our customers and meet their needs without interruption. This includes redeploying employees and contractors.”
Additionally, Gordon rejected the idea that Rogers was replacing technicians with contracts, saying instead that Rogers’ latest offer included language about growing the combined bargaining unit and backfilling vacated roles with full-time employees to “provide job security and further reduce the use of contractors.” The company says it uses contractors to support seasonal shifts in work and to address resource shortages.
Source: The Canadian Press
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