[BC_Labour_E-NEWS] July 13, 2005

[bc_labour_enews at bcfed.net]

BC LABOUR E-NEWS
 
July 13, 2005
 
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CONTENTS
 
URGENT ACTION ALERTS
1. HEU-Sodexho
2. TWU-Telus
 
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1. HEU-SODEXHO
Send an urgent email to the Paris-based executives of Sodexho 
Alliance
The Hospital Employees' Union is bargaining with Paris-based 
multinational Sodexho for a first collective agreement covering 
1,100 workers who clean hospitals and feed patients in British 
Columbia, Canada. 
In this recently privatized sector of health care, wages have 
been cut nearly in half. As a result, a Sodexho hospital job is a 
passport to poverty for a workforce that is predominately female. 
Sodexho workers want a fair contract and a decent wage. 
But the message from Sodexho at the bargaining table is clear: 
Let them eat cake. 
Send top executives at Sodexho in Paris, France a message that 
B.C. health care workers deserve more than just crumbs.
 
Send an email at: 
< http://www.labourstart.org/sodexho > 
 
Get more information about this campaign:
 
< http://www.heu.org >
 
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2. TWU-TELUS
Union resists as Telus promotes race to the bottom
Back in the 1960s and '70s, the Telecommunications Workers Union 
(TWU) fought knock down, drag out battles with the British 
Columbia Telephone Company to get strong contracting out 
protection included in its collective agreement.
 
Fast forward to the year 2000. The phone companies in British 
Columbia and Alberta merge and the TWU wins the vote to represent 
the workers in both provinces. Telus, the successor company, 
embarks on a program to undermine the union and its strong 
collective agreement. The company insists on writing a new 
contract from scratch. The union resists.
 
Telus has begun to up the ante. It recently embarked on a 
graduated series of lockout measures. In addition, the company 
has announced it will no longer collect union dues. 
 
Because management holds most of the cards in the modern, highly 
automated world of telecommunications, the TWU is trying to avoid 
a destructive confrontation. It is asking Canada's federal labour 
minister to impose binding arbitration. The union would 
appreciate your help in communicating the need for binding 
arbitration to the minister. 
 
Send a message to Telus:
 
< http://www.labourstart.org/telus >
 
Get more information about this campaign: 
 
< http://www.anotherwrongnumber.com >
 
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