[LabComm] TELUS DISPUTE - BCGEU urges members to make the switch

[Bech, Soren]

Hallelujah.

Great release.

-----Original Message-----
From: Adams, Carol 
Sent: September 22, 2005 2:53 PM
To: labcomm at bcfed.net
Subject: [LabComm] TELUS DISPUTE - BCGEU urges members to make the
switch


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2005
 
TELUS DISPUTE
BCGEU urges members to make the switch 

The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) is stepping up
its support for locked-out members of the Telecommunications Workers'
Union (TWU) by urging its members who are Telus customers to switch
internet providers.

"This is a warning to Telus that this lockout is more than just an
attack on TWU members.  It's an attack on all working people," said
George Heyman, BCGEU president. "We are mobilizing our 57,000 members to
send a strong message to Telus:  get back to the bargaining table and
negotiate fairly with your employees or you will risk your customer
base."

The BCGEU is urging any member who currently uses Telus to switch to the
unionized Shaw Cable or, if that's unavailable, any other internet
provider.  

"The BCGEU cancelled special calling services like call display soon
after the lockout began and encouraged our staff and members to do the
same," Heyman said.  "We will be terminating the contracts we have with
Telus Mobility as they expire, and are exploring switching all 68 cell
phones used by union staff and officers to another cellular provider.

"We're taking the next step of urging our 200 staff and 57,000 members
and their families to switch internet providers and have started the
process of switching to Shaw at our headquarters in Burnaby and 12 area
offices, where available."

Heyman said he has heard from many BCGEU members who are disgusted over
the company's plan to ship thousands of customer service jobs to places
as far away as the Philippines.  

"Telus is a greedy, anti-union company that's reaping huge profits,
giving senior managers big raises but refusing to share any of the
profit with customers or employees.  They're cutting thousands of jobs
without a care in the world about the impact on customer service, or
workers and their families.  That's not a company our members and our
union want to deal with."

-30-

For more information, contact Carol Adams at (604) 291-9611 or cell
(604) 319-4363.

You can switch to Shaw by following this link::
http://www.shaw.ca/en-ca/ProductsServices/Internet/

cep 467
cope 378
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