Judge to be asked who should lead Telus union - By Fiona Anderson, Vancouver Sun
The work stoppage -- called a lockout by the union and a strike by Telus -- led to divisions within the union, some of it along geographical lines. In Alberta, Telus reported that more than half of its unionized employees crossed picket lines to go to work, while B.C. workers stayed off the job. Before the new contract, workers in the two provinces were covered by separate collective agreements.
The move to oust Bell is supported by TWU's vice-president responsible for Central and Eastern Canada, John Carpenter. Carpenter has been acting as president of the union since July, when members of the TWU's executive council purported to oust Bell for dereliction of duty. Bell successfully appealed that decision to an ombudsperson appointed by the Canadian Labour Congress and was reinstated in October. In the current application before the court, the TWU alleges that the ombudsperson was biased and his decision should be overturned.