United Steelworkers union seeks injunction against Telus over return-to-office directive
2024年7月31日 - 5:33AM
The United Steelworkers union (USW) filed an urgent application
with the British Columbia Supreme Court yesterday seeking an
injunction over the return-to-office directive from Telus. The
union requested that the court grant interim relief to protect the
rights of affected workers who are facing a difficult choice
between accepting a Voluntary Severance Package (VSP), Early
Retirement Incentive Plans (ERIP) or returning to the office.
The USW asked the B.C. Supreme Court to hear its application on
an expedited basis as the union looks to pursue all available
avenues of relief. The hearing will be held Aug. 7, 2024. The union
argues that the proposed changes from Telus will inflict
irreparable harm on its employees and highlights the impact on
women, individuals with families, elder care and members with
disabilities.
“The impact of these changes on our members cannot be
overstated,” said Jayson Little, USW staff representative. “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 USW is asking the court for an injunction restraining Telus
from requiring employees to choose between the VSP, ERIP and
returning to the office, and altering the ability of the impacted
employees to work remotely pursuant to the work-from-home
arrangements currently in place.
“By filing for this court order, the union aims to ensure that
affected employees retain their rights under the existing
work-from-home policies and are not unfairly pressured into making
a decision that could lead to significant personal and professional
hardships,” added Little.
The union’s filing comes following two rallies held this weekend
in Toronto and Burnaby, B.C., where hundreds of members rallied
against the Telus Ontario Call Centre closures and return-to-office
directive.
About the United Steelworkers unionThe USW
represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across
Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America,
with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the
Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because
of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and
more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working
conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits
and pensions.
For more information:Jayson Little, USW Staff Representative,
jlittle@usw.ca, 778-837-3584
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c93f087-1d1a-4b27-bdb0-9f0fd2aad9b8