ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – A new video campaign released by United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 1944 has already surpassed 304,000 views on YouTube, amplifying the voices of Abbotsford Rogers technicians who are standing up for fairness on the picket line.
The video tells the story of a “small but mighty” group of Rogers technicians in Abbotsford who have been “bullied, ignored and forced into striking” for fair wages. Unlike their counterparts in Vancouver, Surrey, Langley and Mission, Abbotsford technicians are paid less despite doing the same work.
“Equal pay for equal work. That’s what this fight is about,” said Michael Phillips, USW Local 1944 President. “Rogers is a multi-billion-dollar corporation. There’s no justification for paying Abbotsford workers less than their colleagues just a few kilometres away.”
This is the second video in the union’s campaign to raise awareness of the dispute. The first ad, “The Abbotsford Discount,” highlighted how Rogers charges customers full price while paying Abbotsford technicians 10% less than workers elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.
USW Local 1944 and Rogers last met at the bargaining table on Sept. 15. The union had presented an offer that would have aligned the Abbotsford workers’ contract with those in Vancouver and Surrey. Rogers rejected that fair proposal and has responded with yet another disrespectful counteroffer. Negotiations are scheduled to resume on Monday, Sept. 22.
“We’ve been clear with Rogers that the only path to resolving this strike is a fair deal that ends Abbotsford’s second-class treatment,” said Phillips. “Our members’ resilience has carried them this far and community support continues to grow stronger every day.”
The new video, now trending throughout the Metro Vancouver area, can be viewed here: http://usw.to/5gr.
USW Local 1944 represents approximately 4,000 telecommunications workers across Canada, including technicians, customer service agents, clerical staff and other frontline workers who keep the country connected. The union is urging Rogers to return to the bargaining table with a serious offer that respects Abbotsford workers and addresses the long-standing injustices they face.
About the United Steelworkers
The 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.
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