Monday, September 24, 2005

OTTAWA – Today in the House of Commons, Jay Hill, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River and Official Opposition House Leader, hand-delivered a letter to Labour Minister Joe Fontana requesting his immediate and personal intervention in the ongoing dispute between Telus and the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU).

Hill said he was compelled to make another appeal directly to Minister Fontana, on behalf of hundreds of Telus employees in his constituency and on behalf of Telus customers, following the publication last week of ‘defeatist’ comments about the minister’s inability to take action in the labour dispute by a member of the minister’s staff.

The text of Mr. Hill’s letter is attached below.

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For more information, please contact:
Jay Hill, M.P. (613) 947-4524 or (250) 787-1194

OTTAWA
September 26, 2005

Hon. Joe Fontana
Minister of Labour
House of Commons
Ottawa K1A 0A6

DELIVERY BY HAND

Dear Minister,

Quotes attributed to your Director of Communications, Peter Graham, in media reports last week compel me to once again request your immediate and personal intervention in the ongoing dispute between Telus and the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU).

Mr. Graham’s comments in the Prince George Citizen indicate that action on your part is “impossible”. However, regardless of provisions in the Canadian Labour Code that may prevent you from literally ‘ordering’ the two sides back to the bargaining table, I strongly believe you are in a position to intervene in this dispute and I was dismayed by the ‘defeatist’ message conveyed by Mr. Graham’s comments.

As I wrote in my February 25, 2005 letter to you regarding the Telus/TWU dispute, you have an obligation, as Minister of Labour, to demonstrate the leadership necessary to bring the two sides together in order to advance the binding arbitration process. The employees, as well as Telus customers, should have a reasonable expectation that the federal government can and will take action to end years of labour strife.

Hundreds of residents in my constituency are now out of work and, understandably, the long-standing uncertainty has led to an escalation of tension on the picket lines. Before this dispute continues another week, I am asking you to direct your substantial attention and resources towards solving this present impasse, including, if necessary, bringing forth legislation to arbitrate this dispute.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Jay Hill, M.P.
Prince George - Peace River