Order to be in place until two months after an arbitrator is selected
The British Columbia Supreme Court has granted a temporary injunction against TELUS’ return-to-office mandate, which could lead to some workers losing their employment.
“We are happy and relieved that the court has granted a temporary injunction,” said Michael Phillips, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1944 president.
“This injunction will ensure that affected employees may retain their rights under the existing work-from-home policies for the time being and are not unfairly pressured into making a decision that could lead to significant personal and professional hardships.”
In July, TELUS told the union that some 150 unionized call centre employees based in Ontario must relocate to Montreal by October or have their employment terminated with a severance package, according to the union.
Subsequently, TELUS announced that, starting in September, roughly 1,000 call centre workers nationwide who have been working remotely since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic must report to the office three days a week.
However, customer service agents in Ontario won’t have a local office to return to, according to a Global News report. That’s because TELUS is closing its Barrie location, which housed its Ontario contact centre, “following a thoughtful review of our real estate,” said Brandi Merker, company spokesperson.
The employer also gave workers an Early Retirement Incentive Plans (ERIP) option. According to TELUS, workers should have already made their decision by Aug. 9, noted the union.
On July 30, 2024, USW filed an urgent application with the B.C. Supreme Court seeking an injunction over the return-to-office directive.
Most Canadian workers are OK with heading back to the office – but employers do not seem to be ready to meet their needs, according to a previous Cisco report.
Adjudication by arbitrator
The injunction against TELUS’s return-to-office mandate will remain in place until two months after an arbitrator is selected and may be extended by agreement or further order of the B.C. Supreme Court, according to the union. The employer and the union will be jointly selecting the arbitrator, said USW Local 1944.
“We firmly believe the blanket return-to-office directive from TELUS violates the collective agreement and disproportionately affects women, individuals with families and elder care responsibilities and members with disabilities. We appreciate the interim relief provided by the court’s order and look forward to pursuing a just outcome on this issue,” said Phillips.
TELUS’s mandate affects about 1,000 USW Local 1944 members nationwide.
Employers’ return to office (RTO) mandates are not just meant to bring workers back into the workplace – they are meant to make some workers quit, according to a previous survey.
