ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Rogers Communications has posted quarterly revenue of $5.22 billion, beating analysts’ expectations of $5.18 billion, while still refusing to offer a fair contract to 25 striking technicians in Abbotsford. The United Steelworkers union (USW), which represents the workers, is calling out the company’s outrageous hypocrisy for claiming it can’t afford a fair deal despite its soaring profits.
“These technicians are the ones who keep Rogers customers connected through windstorms, outages and emergencies in the Fraser Valley,” said Michael Phillips, USW Local 1944 President. “It’s absolutely unacceptable that a billion-dollar company is refusing to settle a fair deal with the workers who make their profits possible. The hypocrisy is outrageous.”
In a recent press release, Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri touted the company’s strong financial performance across wireless, cable and media, saying the company had “taken meaningful steps to unlock value for shareholders” through accelerated debt reduction and major investments in its “world-class sports assets.”
“Rogers clearly has the money to invest in sports teams and reward shareholders,” said Phillips. “What it’s lacking is the willingness to invest in the frontline workers who keep the company running.”
Despite the company’s astonishing revenues, Rogers has so far refused to address key issues at the bargaining table, including pay equity with other technicians doing the same work across the Lower Mainland.
The strike by USW Local 1944 members in Abbotsford has now dragged on for over a month. During that time, Rogers has brought in managers from outside the province to perform the work of striking technicians, a move that clearly violates the spirit of federal anti-scab legislation. The federal NDP has pledged to introduce an amendment to close this loophole when Parliament resumes in September.
“Rogers is proving it can find the money for executive bonuses and quarterly dividends but not for 25 working-class families trying to make ends meet,” said Phillips. “It’s corporate greed at its most shameless.
Last week, after two failed days of negotiations facilitated by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the USW is calling on Rogers to share its record profits and return to the bargaining table with a real commitment to reaching a fair contract for its Abbotsford technicians.
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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What do you do? I come out of Local 1944, where I was a service technician working for Telus. I became a local union rep for the local in 2022, representing technicians, construction, cable repair and inside plant workers over most of B.C. and the clerical (call centre) workers in Prince George, B.C. How did […]
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