VANCOUVER – The United Steelworkers union (USW) filed an urgent application with the British Columbia Supreme Court yesterday seeking an injunction over the return-to-office directive from Telus. The union requested that the court grant interim relief to protect the rights of affected workers who are facing a difficult choice between accepting a Voluntary Severance Package (VSP), Early Retirement Incentive Plans (ERIP) or returning to the office.
The USW asked the B.C. Supreme Court to hear its application on an expedited basis as the union looks to pursue all available avenues of relief. The hearing will be held Aug. 7, 2024. The union argues that the proposed changes from Telus will inflict irreparable harm on its employees and highlights the impact on women, individuals with families, elder care and members with disabilities.
“The impact of these changes on our members cannot be overstated,” said Jayson Little, USW staff representative. “We are deeply concerned about the discriminatory and disproportionate effects on vulnerable groups within our membership and we believe that the actions from Telus are in direct violation of the very laws designed to protect workers.”
The USW is asking the court for an injunction restraining Telus from requiring employees to choose between the VSP, ERIP and returning to the office, and altering the ability of the impacted employees to work remotely pursuant to the work-from-home arrangements currently in place.
“By filing for this court order, the union aims to ensure that affected employees retain their rights under the existing work-from-home policies and are not unfairly pressured into making a decision that could lead to significant personal and professional hardships,” added Little.
The union’s filing comes following two rallies held this weekend in Toronto and Burnaby, B.C., where hundreds of members rallied against the Telus Ontario Call Centre closures and return-to-office directive.
About the United Steelworkers union
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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