Twenty-five Rogers technicians in Abbotsford are on strike as of Thursday morning (June 19) after negotiations broke down with their employer.
A press release from local 1944 of the United Steelworkers Union (USW) states that the workers perform the same work as their counterparts in Vancouver and Surrey but are paid nine per cent less.
“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.”
Phillips said the union is 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."
“For years, Rogers has deliberately kept this group bargaining alone so they can push lower wages and worse conditions,” said Jayson Little, USW staff representative.
“That must end now. Our members are standing up not just for themselves, but for every worker who’s been told to sit down and accept less."
Rogers' latest offer to the union includes wage increases retroactive to April 2025, with a 2.75 to three per cent annual increase over the five-year term, as well as an extra .25 per cent increase over the last two years of the term.
The company says the wages are comparable to the compensation provided to workers in White Rock and Chilliwack.
“Our goal is always to achieve a negotiated collective agreement with our technicians," said Leann Yutuc, a Rogers spokeperson.
"We’re disappointed the union has taken this step while we’re working to reach a fair and balanced deal for our customers and our 25 technicians. We’re focused on continuing to meet the needs of our customers in Abbotsford without interruption.”
The strike is 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.
The union members voted unanimously on Friday (June 13) to reject the company's latest offer, and then took a strike vote, which was also unanimous. They then issued 72-hour strike notice on Monday (June 16).
USW Local 1944 represents approximately 4,000 telecommunications workers across Canada, including technicians, customer service agents, clerical staff and other front-line workers.
