supporting team members

workplace

TELUS is dedicated to embracing diversity and attracting and retaining the best in our industry by providing a work experience that is challenging, rewarding and respectful. We believe that critical to our collective and individual success is enabling team members to perform to a high standard by providing the right tools, the right processes and the right support. Our team members play a vital role in our success. We strive to ensure team members are treated fairly, and with dignity and respect for their skills, career goals and viewpoints.

TELUS seeks to provide workplace programs that meet the professional and personal needs of team members. Our goal is a workplace that offers new opportunities for growth and innovation, and where high performance is rewarded. We are strongly committed to high ethical standards and working together in an inclusive way.

Listening to our team

Through our Pulsecheck survey, team members can share their opinions and feedback about TELUS. Survey results are shared with team members and provide an essential tool for shaping improvements in our quality of work-life and the workplace. Although we do not have 2005 Pulsecheck results due to the extended labour disruption, we plan to resume the survey in 2006. The feedback gathered will be important as we build a future of spirited teamwork.

Labour

In November 2005 TELUS reached a collective bargaining agreement with the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU), which represents the majority of TELUS’ unionized team members across Canada. The settlement brings a positive conclusion to a complex round of collective bargaining. The ratification of the agreement on November 18, 2005, ended a four-month labour disruption that began on July 21. The new collective agreement is effective from November 20, 2005, to November 19, 2010, and covers approximately 14,000 TELUS team members.

The new collective agreement brings numerous benefits to both TELUS and its team members, such as:

Making TELUS’ unionized team members amongst the most highly paid workers in the Canadian telecommunications industry
Balancing employment security for team members with the flexibility necessary for TELUS to be competitive in today’s changing telecom industry
Providing for wages for Alberta team members to be harmonized with similar positions in B.C. over the duration of this agreement
Provisions for team members affected by the outsourcing of non-core functions and the consolidation of some customer service and administrative functions, including high-quality voluntary severance packages consistent with past TELUS practice, or the opportunity to be redeployed within TELUS’ core operations
Marking the beginning of a renewed and constructive union-management relationship, including the creation of a Common Interest Forum and an agreement between the parties to work together to withdraw various legal proceedings
Settlement of a long-standing pay equity complaint for team members in British Columbia, including the establishment of a $10 million pay equity fund by TELUS. The Canadian Human Rights Commission accepted the settlement in March 2006.

Spirited teamwork – stronger together

The labour disruption was a challenging time for everyone on the TELUS team, as well as for our customers, families and friends. We are now focused on our future and on building a community of spirited teamwork throughout TELUS. Members of the TELUS team are entering an era full of promise and opportunity – one that will be demanding at times, but that will also offer exciting growth experiences both individually and collectively.

To help achieve this goal, TELUS has created “spirited teamwork – stronger together,” a collection of activities and resources designed to help us move forward as one team. Spirited teamwork – stronger together has four main components: spirited teamwork sessions; support programs and resources; business unit activities; and individual responsibilities.