A total of 25 Rogers technicians went on strike on June 19 after negotiations broke down with the carrier.
In a press release from the United Steelworkers Local 1944, the union representing the technicians, it says that its workers are paid nine per cent less than the equivalent employee in Vancouver and Surrey, B.C., even though they do the same job.
“Rogers is sending a clear message: it does not value the people who keep its services running in smaller communities like Abbotsford,” said the president of USW Local 1944, Michael Phillips.
He digs in further by stating, “Our members do critical work every day to support Rogers customers, yet the company believes these workers deserve less simply because of their postal code. The last time I checked, the service that customers buy in Abbotsford costs the same as in Vancouver, so why are the workers paid less? That’s not just disrespectful, it’s shameful.”
Notably, this strike will be one of the first under Canada’s Bill C-58 law, which will block the use of replacement ‘scab’ workers while the technicians are on strike. This bill only applies to some markets, but telecommunications are part of it.
The union has been bartering with Rogers throughout June and decided to strike after four negotiation attempts. The most recent offer from the telecom included a roughly three per cent increase for the workers over five years.
Image source: USW Local 1944
Source: USW Local 1944
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
