Telus Communications Inc. v. Telecommunications Workers` Union[1] is an appeal from a decision of the Supreme Court of British Columbia that overturned an arbitrator`s decision upholding the union`s claim that it has the right to obtain from the employer notification of any claim by workers covered by the collective agreement to remedy a medical disability. This decision clearly shows that, regardless of an express provision of the collective agreement, trade unions do not have the right to obtain from the employer notification, information and consultation of all requests for accommodation from workers covered by the collective agreement. The employer`s right to manage his business includes the right to deal directly with requests for accommodation, unless the accommodation requires an adaptation to a negotiated duration of the collective agreement if the participation and cooperation of the union is necessary to make appropriate arrangements, or if a worker requests to be represented by a trade union. After a year of collective bargaining, TWU, USW National Local 1944 reached a tentative agreement with Telus in early October. The local bargaining committee held meetings of members across Canada in October and early this month to discuss the draft collective agreement and vote on the preliminary agreement. Ballots were counted on November 23, with 68 percent of voters in favor of adoption. March 2, 2017 – The Telus-TWU, USW National Local 1944 2016-2021 collective agreement is now available online. To access it, please realize that uswlocals.org/system/files/telus_twu_2016to2021_en_2.pdfDer collective agreement has now gone to the printing works and we will inform our members if they are ready for distribution.
In Solidarity, The Telecommunications Workers` Union, United Steelworkers National Local 1944 Despite very large profits in recent years, Telus has, on the whole, passed on considerable economic rewards to company executives and shareholders. Membership in Local 1944 provides the quality service telus customers depend on and, through their union, they will continue to insist on fair treatment. The union will be vigilant to ensure that Telus respects the terms of the agreement and does not accept any violations detrimental to its members. VANCOUVER – Members of Canada`s largest United Steelworkers (USW) facility have ratified a new collective agreement with Telus. After judicial review, the BC Supreme Court set aside the arbitral award. Telus did not dispute that a dwelling requiring an accommodation for a negotiated period of time to the collective agreement and the cases in which the worker applied to be represented by the union are circumstances in which the union was allowed to participate in the accommodation process. She argued that many of the workers` accommodation requests, such as. B requests for ergonomic chairs, lighting and workplace layouts could be resolved without any change to a negotiated duration of the collective agreement or without affecting other workers and did not require the participation of the union.
The union mourned the fact that Telus had violated the collective agreement between the parties by refusing to involve the union in the process of housing workers seeking medical disabilities. . . .