VANCOUVER –
A breakdown in contract negotiations has led Rogers Communication Inc. to plan Monday to lock out nearly 300 former Shaw technicians after the union issued a 72-hour notice of the workers’ intention to leave their jobs.
The United Steelworkers Union Local 1944 Unit 60, which represents workers in Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and Langley, B.C., said it had informed Rogers that it planned to begin a series of rotating strikes at noon Monday after reaching a deal of the company had rejected.
However, Rogers says employees will be locked out at this time, describing the move as a hesitant move to ensure the company can continue to provide services to its customers without interruption.
The former Shaw technicians, who were acquired by Rogers when the companies merged earlier this year, help provide internet, phone and television services to homes and businesses across British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.
Their concerns center largely on job security amid allegations that the company is increasingly reliant on contractors to carry out its duties.
The two sides have been at the negotiating table since February, as union members worked under the terms of their previous collective agreement and workers voted 99.6 percent in favor of a strike mandate in September.
“Coffeeaholic. Lifelong alcohol fanatic. Typical travel expert. Prone to fits of apathy. Internet trailblazer.”