These workers are Citywest’s greatest asset, and the only real advantage they have over their private-sector competition. I hope Citywest realizes this.
Citywest workers aren’t responsible for the “We asked around and nobody wants it” mentality – that decision, and the other bonehead moves – are squarely on management.
[quote=“MiG”]These workers are Citywest’s greatest asset, and the only real advantage they have over their private-sector competition. I hope Citywest realizes this.
Citywest workers aren’t responsible for the “We asked around and nobody wants it” mentality – that decision, and the other bonehead moves – are squarely on management.[/quote]
Oh I’m not saying the employees are the problem. I’ve said it before they have some great employees (some terrible ones too) but a broke city has no business sitting on a failing asset worth millions while the infrastructure the city should be responsible for is in complete disarray.
So what does this mean…will there be service interruptions for internet/tv/phone for their consumers if the go on strike?
How would you notice?
Probably. I envision citywest is run like that video of monkeys on typewriters hopelessly mashing the keys trying to keep things running 24x7.
Not because of incompetence of staff but poor purchasing decisions etc leading to equipment failures and layers of workarounds and ‘temporary’ fixes that never actually get fixed because they are ‘working’ and management sees no need.
I worked at a company like that… and digging out of that hole took 3 years and a complete management change. Of course this is all speculation on my part but given the service levels citywest customers have come to expect I think is well within the realm of possibilities.
Can’t we just get Harper to legislate them back to work as an essential service?
I’d support the workers because there “are” alot of good people there. There are only marginally a few not nice folks there.
[quote]
IBEW 337 Labour Dispute Briefing Note - March 22, 2012
Background on Bargaining:
IBEW 337 begin bargaining with CityWest in November 2011. After several days of bargaining the parties applied for conciliation.
The parties were not able to reach a settlement after two rounds of conciliation and the Conciliation Officer booked out of negotiations on March 9, 2012. The labour dispute is now into the Federal Labour Board’s twenty-one day cooling-off period, following which the two parties will be in a legal lockout/strike position.
On March 19, 2012 the Minister of Labour appointed the conciliator to act in the role of Mediator to assist the parties in reaching a settlement.
The union and the employer have submitted essential service plans, without agreement from either party. CityWest has requested that the Essential Service Agreement be referred to the Canada Relations Board.
Outstanding Issues:
Despite a fragile economy in many sectors, CityWest is a profitable company. It has embarked on a bargaining style intent on ending in confrontation. The IBEW is a union well versed in negotiating fair settlements in the private sector and in ensuring that employers remain competitive in their markets.
CityWest brought a very aggressive approach to bargaining this round, including many rigid demands for concessions. These demands included:
• two-tiered wage scale with new hires being excluded from the current pay grid and forced commission sales;
• new hires being excluded from the pension plan;
• pay increases based on manager’s discretion rather than pay grid;
• less options for existing workers to apply for promotions, where service and experience should count;
• lowering vacation entitlements.
IBEW 337 has proposed a framework agreement in an attempt to find a reasonable and fair settlement rather than a labour dispute with CityWest.
The IBEW 337 framework agreement included a major concession in the sick and family leave provisions resulting in a significant savings for CityWest. The change in sick and family leave provisions will mean a reduction in income for many members of the bargaining unit in excess of $3500.00 per member, per year.
IBEW 337 also recognized CityWest’s need to offer superior services to its telephone customers to remain competitive . IBEW 337 agreed several initiatives which will provide further productivity and service enhancements for CityWest customers.
IBEW 337 agreed to cross training of positions to allow for more flexibility and staff utilization. In addition, the union recognized the need for CityWest to offer higher market value wages to its technicians for attraction and retention of a highly skilled work force. This meant a break from the tradition of across the board wage increases for all categories in the bargaining unit.
What a Strike Will Mean in the Community:
CityWest promotes itself as a company committed to job creation in the community in a view of developing the local economy: “Neighbours Serving Neighbours.”
All that will change with a labour dispute. The company will attempt to move jobs currently done in Prince Rupert to Terrace and outsource more work to Nova Scotia and PEI.
In the event of a strike, forty-two IBEW 337 members who make decent, family-sustaining wages will be out of work. On a yearly basis, that means close to one million dollars taken from the local economy from workers who live here, pay taxes here, are loyal to local businesses and who are your neighbours.
What you can do:
- Please share this information with your Local Union Executives and membership.
- Please tell City West and its Board of Directors to get back to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair settlement.
- Please contact your City Councilor and raise your concerns with City West’s refusal to negotiate a fair deal and the impact of a forced labour dispute.[/quote]
This portion always leads to a high turnover and or disgruntled employees:
And, exclusion from the pension plan? Seriously? Well, I guess you have to cut cost somewhere hey?
Does this strike have anything to do with the inability of CityWest cell customers to phone out?
Just did a small test and for 3-1/2 hrs. My friend, a citywest customer, was unable to even phone 9-1-1 without getting an “all our circuits are busy” response. Phoning from a Rogers cell phone to my friend wasn’t a problem, nor was it a problem for my CityWest friend to phone a land line.
I’m very glad I have no need of a cell phone. However when I do, I won’t be getting my service from CityWest.
Sorry folks, when you offer a service you’d better be able to provide it.
I think the current hardline bargaining stance from Citywest is more than likely initiated by new-to-Rupert managers in CityWest. I overheard a little birdy saying there was a new manager in from another (larger) city in the last 18 months.
Probably just another cone-headed, ass-hat-toting big city schmuck that thinks staffing in Prince Rupert is like in the big cities. Quite a bit of that these days. Sorry but if you big city dwellers think employee retention in Prince Rupert is fine and you can treat your workings like a number (like in oh say, Richmond) you’re about as dense as a water-logged stump.
/Ranting aside: as a publicly owned asset I personally find it a little redundant, cheeky and repulsive to literally screw the work force that owns your company. What are those CFO’s, CEO’s, B-S-O’s and (?) Managers thinking?
I’m all for the City owning industry that is vital to the survival of the city. Citywest is not one of those. RTi on the other hand, or the Pulp Mill, those are vital. Now, that doesn’t mean I sanction being a BONEHEAD with those assets. God, I could have done just as good with the Pulp Mill handling and I have about %0.01 of experience in municipal governance / corporate buying selling!
“The union representing all administration, and customer service staff in the CityWest’s Prince Rupert office, as well as Telephone technical personnel working out of Prince Rupert, has served its 72 hour strike notice.”
thenorthernview.com/news/145211815.html
Let’s hope there’s a decent resolution for this.
“The union will begin strike action effective noon on Sunday, April 2. CityWest says it was surprised by the move.”
I’d be surprised by that too, since Sunday is April 1st.
[quote=“MiG”]“The union representing all administration, and customer service staff in the CityWest’s Prince Rupert office, as well as Telephone technical personnel working out of Prince Rupert, has served its 72 hour strike notice.”
thenorthernview.com/news/145211815.html
Let’s hope there’s a decent resolution for this.
“The union will begin strike action effective noon on Sunday, April 2. CityWest says it was surprised by the move.”
I’d be surprised by that too, since Sunday is April 1st.[/quote]
Citywest asked around, nobody wanted employees.
yes maybe management will open their eyes for once
I have worked for the city for 35 years and i cant remember ever seeing this before,i talked to one of the girls and she is so upset i hope all the best to the workers keep strong we love you and we are with you all the way.
cftktv.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=1679331
"It looks like concerns over emergency phone services will prevent a strike threatened Monday by unionized employees of CityWest in Prince Rupert.
The telecommunications company said early Fridy that it had received strike notice from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 337. But late in the afternoon it issued another release, saying the federal labour board has ruled the workers cannot legally strike unless there’s an agreement to maintain “lifeline services” such as 911 for Prince Rupert residents."
So the unions next move is to agree to maintain 911 service and nothing else.
[quote=“MeepMeepZoom”]I’d support the workers because there “are” alot of good people there. There are only marginally a few not nice folks there.
Thanks for the reference MMZ…i agree there are a lot of good people there. This is a very one-sided document, no doubt from union rhetoric. I’m not saying it is or isn’t accurate, just that it is one side of the coin. Hopefully, whatever is settled on is for an overall benefit.
Thanks for the reference MMZ…i agree there are a lot of good people there. This is a very one-sided document, no doubt from union rhetoric. I’m not saying it is or isn’t accurate, just that it is one side of the coin. Hopefully, whatever is settled on is for an overall benefit.[/quote]
Undoubtedly this is more than likely one-sided however I do believe the tabled grievances where CityWest is being reported as “rigid” are accurate. The rest is more than likely motivational union cheerleeding I agree. Although, the “rigid” demands of CityWest bargaining terms I would conclude speak volumes to the management direction.
A further insight I see into the rigid demands is the company’s desperation for the bandwidth situation. I believe I read a communication that reported the further bandwidth purchase would be $35 thousand a month to accomodate demands in Prince Rupert and Terrace for bandwidth. I find it rather repugnant that we can’t get quality of service we pay through the nose for, but CityWest can outfit itself through the teeth with new office desks, big screen TV’s and more than likely many more “unseen” flamboyant purchases for creature comfort. Those items aren’t cheap especially seeing as how many companies in Prince Rupert order through “Source Office Furnishings.”