RE: I wasn't kidding.- shoe on other footBubba.
Your argument that BECAUSE the TWU has the right to represent all TELUS bargaining unit employees it also holds that the agreement that BCTEL had with its TWU employees should be the starting point for negotiations .... The argument holds no water, put the shoe on the other foot
1) Get over it...The agreement has expired (4+ years ago)... It would be like your bank advising you that since your interest rate agreement (8.5%) that you entered into 10 years ago was now expired, and 8.5% was going to be your new rate (after all that was our last agreement, it should be the starting point for negotiations).... of course any sane individual would argue that THINGS HAD CHANGED and you were only willing to pay the 5.5% going rate for a 10yr mortgage.
2) The TWU has the right to represent, it does not have the right to impose (an expired) agreement on TELUS for workers that were never covered by the agreement in the first place.... Again, it would be like your bank advising you that since they had recently been taken over (merged) by another large financial institution that your interest rate was going up 1%. "We know you have a contract in place with that “Old Bank”, but the new policy of the “Bigger and Better Bank” is everyone gets the same posted prime rate... past agreements are null and void" again, you would blow your stack (and rightfully so)…
IMO - Under the circumstances of MAJOR mergers and acquisitions, it only makes sense that a negotiation starts with a clean sheet of paper...