Union alleges Rogers won’t return to bargaining table in Abbotsford, B.C. strike

The union representing striking workers at Rogers Communications Inc. in Abbotsford, B.C. is castigating the company for allegedly walking away from the bargaining table. The employees have been on strike since June 19. United Steelworkers (USW) local 1944 additionally alleges Rogers is having managers from other parts of its western operations come into Abbotsford to do the duties of 25 striking technicians, arguing it is using a potential loophole in federal anti-scab legislation passed last year and which took effect last month. “The company is still not interested in coming back to the table,” Michael Phillips, president of the local, alleged to The Wire Report. “They are trying to maintain business operations but of course that involves having managers that are not all very qualified to do bargaining-unit work.” The union held a rally on Wednesday, July 9. Interim federal NDP leader Don Davies was on hand to lend his support. “We were really happy to have Don Davies attend,” Phillips noted. He said the union was "heartened" to hear from Davies that shipping in managers from across western Canada could be a loophole "that the NDP are going to propose closing in the next parliamentary session.” Employers are not allowed to have staff from other company locations replace striking workers during a strike or lockout, according to the amended Canada Labour Code. They also cannot use employees who were transferred to the location of the strike after the day notice to bargain collectively was given. A spokesperson for Rogers defended the company’s actions. “Our goal is always to reach a fair, negotiated collective agreement with our 25 technicians,” a statement emailed to The Wire Report read. “We’ve put forward a five-year agreement offering long-term stability and more than a 14 per cent wage increase over the course of the term. As we continue working towards a balanced deal, we remain committed to serving our customers in Abbotsford without interruption.” The company says it is using managers to work for the technicians because their clientele rely on Rogers to stay connected, especially to emergency services. Phillips maintains using managers instead of regular staff is a customer service issue and could be a safety issue. The sticking point is that the Abbotsford workers are paid less than Rogers workers in other parts of Metro Vancouver. The company counters that the proposed increases put the Abbotsford employees ahead of similar workers in White Rock, North Vancouver and Chilliwack. Phillips snorts at that comparison. The White Rock, North Vancouver and Chilliwack workers are not members of local 1944. “In Chilliwack, they’re not even unionized,” he states. “I think it goes to show if that’s what they’re comparing unionized Steelworkers to, that’s a false comparison.” Rogers says it has agreed with most items for the collective agreement. That includes improvements to safety footwear, share purchase options, severance and other supplementary benefits. ppark@thewirereport.ca

Union alleges Rogers won’t return to bargaining table in Abbotsford, B.C. strike

Telecom |
By Paul Park
| July 10, 2025

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Union alleges Rogers won’t return to bargaining table in Abbotsford, B.C. strike

Telecom | By Paul Park | July 10, 2025

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Telecom |
By Paul Park
| July 10, 2025