Photo: Samantha Holomay

Rogers Communications has locked out 26 former Shaw employees in the Kootenay region amid ongoing contract negotiations with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

Robin Neldia, assistant business manager for IBEW said that the former Shaw employees who work as technicians unionized on Feb. 14, 2024.

"We've been, we've been trying to seek a first collective agreement since that date," he said explaining that this triggered the ongoing negotiations that has yet to reach an agreement.

"This is an attack on their careers."

This is not the first labour dispute that has occurred between Rogers and former Shaw employees. Rogers threatened to lock out almost 300 technicians after a different strike notice was issued in 2023.

Neldia explained that the company presented the union with a monetary offer in the fall of 2024, which he said included several cuts to compensation packages, wages, and RSP's.

"It is anywhere from four per cent to up to 50 per cent cuts to monetary, as if they hadn't have joined a union,"

He added that the voted on the proposed agreement a over a week ago that was rejected.

"It was a one hundred per cent rejection by the membership," he said. "They (Rogers) increased the monetary value by a few percentage points. But, if you consider the total package...their enhancement still means it's worse than as if they had not joined the union."

Neldia said that IBEW remains hopeful for a change, explaining that the workers that he said were hired to replace Kootenay technicians have a restricted timeline.

"I mean we're hoping for no more lockout. June. 20, that's when the law changes, and all of these workers from Alberta have to have to go home."

Castanet has reached out Rogers for comment.

Although they have not released an official statement regarding the lockout of Kootenay employees, Rogers has replied to sources claiming that they have issued a new offer to the union has yet to vote on.