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Telus is having ‘incomprehensible failure’ with new payroll system, says union

A union that represents thousands of Telus workers said there is an “incomprehensible failure” in a new payroll system the company implemented.

Calling it an “eight week nightmare,” the United Steelworkers, Local 1944, said some staff are being underpaid by thousands of dollars, dealing with uncompensated overtime, and experiencing inaccuracies in deductions.

“Adding to the chaos, Telus is seeking rectification by deducting from paycheques right before Christmas,” the union said in a post on its website.

“It’s not just discontent; it’s severe hardship. Many of you are now auditing your own paycheques for mistakes caused by a system that seems to ignore the true scope of the problem. Telus appears oblivious, and this crisis is threatening the very foundation of our worker-employer relationship – fair compensation for the work we do,” it said.

It accused Telus of “knowingly” violating the terms of the collective agreement regarding pay despite its “patience and giving Telus time to fix the issue or revert to the previous system.”

Donna Hokiro, president of Local 1944, told the CBC the issue has affected at least 1,000 workers and the problem has persisted over four pay periods.

A statement issued by Telus said it is supporting employees who are having issues and monitoring the situation.

“In the event that any team member receives an inaccurate pay amount, we are prioritizing and resolving these instances on an individual basis as quickly as possible, including manual adjustments where necessary,” the statement read.