ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – After more than four and a half months on the picket line, Rogers technicians in Abbotsford, B.C., have voted to ratify a new five-year collective agreement featuring monetary and language gains. The new agreement marks a major step forward in closing the long-standing pay gap between Abbotsford technicians and their counterparts elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.
The strike will officially end on Oct. 31, following months of determined action by the 25 technicians represented by the United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 1944. Their primary demand for equal pay for equal work was at the heart of this dispute and the new contract closes the gap.
“These Abbotsford technicians have proven that solidarity works,” said Michael Phillips, President of USW Local 1944. “They stood together for months demanding nothing more than respect and fairness and they won it. Rogers can no longer treat these workers as second-class technicians. They’ve earned the respect that should come with their skills and dedication.”
The agreement includes 16% in general wage increases over five years, along with a 0.49% permanent RRSP employer contribution increase. The pay gap between Abbotsford and other Rogers technicians represented by USW Local 1944 will be reduced from 9.2% to 3.1% by April 2027, marking a major achievement in fairness and equity.
Other key improvements include enhanced automation protection, expanded and clarified work jurisdiction, a new annual boot allowance, access to the Rogers Employee Share Accumulation Plan and an additional paid holiday.
“This agreement was not given, it was earned,” Phillips added. “These technicians have set an example for workers across Canada that when you stand together and refuse to back down, you can achieve real change.”
The union continues to praise the determination of the workers while calling for Rogers to reflect on its broader labour relations record.
“While I am extremely proud of these 25 Abbotsford technicians for holding their own against corporate greed, this is now the third labour dispute, with two involving the USW, since Rogers purchased Shaw,” said Jayson Little, USW Staff Representative. “Rogers is one of the most profitable telecom companies in the country. It’s time for them to start acting like a responsible employer and invest in fair, stable relationships with their workforce.”
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.
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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