Abbotsford – The release is from USW United Steel Workers in Abbotsford – Rogers technicians in Abbotsford., members of United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 1944, are on strike as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday morning. The 25 technicians walked off the job after negotiations failed to deliver a fair contract that ensures equal pay and brings an end to the employer’s divide-and-conquer approach to bargaining.
Despite performing identical work to their counterparts in Vancouver and Surrey, the Abbotsford technicians are paid approximately 9% less – an inequality the union says is unjust and indefensible.
“Rogers is sending a clear message: it does not value the people who keep its services running in smaller communities like Abbotsford,” said Michael Phillips, President of USW Local 1944.
“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.”
The union is also fighting to align the Abbotsford contract’s term with contracts in the rest of the Lower Mainland. Currently, Abbotsford workers bargain on a different timeline than other Rogers technicians, which the union says has allowed the company to exploit them as an isolated unit.
This strike is also among the first to take place under Bill C-58, Canada’s new anti-scab legislation that prohibits the use of replacement workers during legal strikes in federally regulated sectors like telecommunications.
“Thanks to this new law, Rogers can’t bring in scabs to do our members’ work while on the picket line. That levels the playing field and protects the right to strike without interference or intimidation,” said Little.
The union is calling out Rogers not only for unfair treatment of its workers, but for showing disregard toward loyal customers and the communities it claims to serve.
“This is how Rogers treats the people who keep your internet and phone services running,” said Phillips. “It says a lot about what they think of their workers and their customers. There are other options out there for internet providers. People should ask themselves if they want to keep supporting a company that treats its employees like this.”
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. The union is urging Rogers to return to the bargaining table with a serious offer that respects Abbotsford workers and addresses the long-standing injustices they face.
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.
