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Open in full screen mode The majority of unionized employees voted for the strike on September 22. They were locked out after filing a 72-hour strike notice on November 3. Radio-Canada Feature in trial Log inCreate my account Speech synthesis, based on artificial intelligence, makes it possible to generate spoken text from written text. An agreement in principle has been reached between Rogers Communications and the union branch that represents the 300 employees in the Greater Vancouver area, locked out since November 6. We are pleased to have reached an agreement in principle with the union. Our goal has always been to reach an agreement that meets the needs of our employees and our customers, says company spokesperson Cam Gordon in a written statement. The agreement will be presented to members for approval on Monday. Once the agreement is signed, Metro Vancouver's 300 unionized technicians are expected to return to work on Wednesday, according to USW Local 1944 regional director Corey Mandryk. USW Local 1944, Unit 60, represents employees of Rogers Communications in Greater Vancouver, many of whom worked for Shaw before the two companies merged. /p> These employees include technicians who build, maintain and repair infrastructure. According to the union, negotiations started in February, but the employees have been without an employment contract since March 23, 2023. Discussions with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service began on August 3. New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Jagmeet Singh and Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan stood alongside the strikers and their families , in Vancouver, Saturday. Jagmeet Singh reiterated his support for striking workers. He also wanted to highlight the importance of legislation that protects workers' rights , like the anti-scab bill. This is legislation that would give these workers the power to obtain and negotiate a fair wage, and prevent Rogers [Communications] from undermining the power of workers by calling on replacement workers or scabs.
Jagmeet Singh speaks with dockworkers from the port of Quebec, locked out for a year, during a rally in favor of a federal anti-scab law on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday, September 19, 2023. (File photo)
The leader of NDP believes that passing the bill will certainly give these people a boost. They see that they are recognized.
USW Local 1944 Regional Director Corey Mandryk welcomed the presence of Jagmeet Singh and Jenny Kwan.
For him, the anti-scab bill is extremely important for workers, [because] it is the tip of the iceberg. Corey Mandryk assures that this law will be essential for those employed by federally regulated companies, such as telecommunications companies like Rogers.
The major issue in the negotiations is job security, specifies Pierre-Luc Dick, national vice-president of local section 1944 of the United Steelworkers Union. According to the latter, the subcontracting of unionized jobs constitutes the main area of concern.
For its part, the company refutes the allegations according to which it wishes to increase the volume of subcontracting and reiterates its commitment to creating 1,200 jobs in the province over the next five years.
These jobs are among the 3,000 positions Rogers Communications promised to create by 2028 in Western Canada when it merged with Shaw.
< em>With information from Dominique Lévesque