Information on Subcontracting and Offshoring
Rimouski, Telus workers'
picket, February 13,
2023
The subcontracting and offshoring of work is massive at TELUS. The union estimates that over the last 20 years or so, the number of unionized workers has dropped from around 20,000 to 7,000 today. And TELUS is using its current refusal to negotiate with the workers and its demands for concessions to decrease that number further. Workers point out that subcontracting and offshoring is a divisive practice aimed at weakening workers' organized strength and driving down the overall working conditions at TELUS.
TELUS workers have coined the expression the "offshore lie," which refers to the beginning of the outsourcing of TELUS work in other countries, that took place during the bitter 2000-2005 labour dispute that led to the company locking out its workers in 2005. At that time, TELUS executives claimed that offshoring the work was a temporary measure the company was taking to provide temporary relief to their managers during the dispute. They promised to return Canadian jobs once the lockout was over. According to the union, TELUS has offshored around 11,000 unionized jobs since then.
TELUS's dictate on offshoring work is such that it refuses to withdraw a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) it has with the union that forbids its workers waging a Keep Jobs in Canada Campaign. In 2010, it approached the Telecommunications Workers Union, which represented TELUS workers at that time, and got it to sign the MOA, which has been in place ever since.
The MOA commits the union to "not publicly reference TELUS or TELUS International Inc. in any potentially negative or disparaging manner in any campaign or communication related to any off-shoring initiative that it may be involved in, either directly or indirectly."
Although the memorandum is not part of the collective agreement, the union is attempting to renew the labour contract with wages and conditions that workers deem acceptable, and to demand that the MOA be withdrawn. TELUS has flatly rejected this demand. Workers insist that it be withdrawn as a part of their drive to make their voice heard and to hold TELUS accountable for its anti-worker activities.
This article was published in
Number 7 - February
22, 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/WF2023/Articles/WO10073.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca