Short of actually causing a loss of human life, a major oil spill or the bulldozing of an orphanage, companies don’t often have a worse stretch of PR than Telus has weathered over the past few weeks.
Just as the dust was settling from the site-blocking fiasco, a video has surfaced from a company “team-building” event called Telus Idol.
After company employees take turns singing pop songs with Telus-friendly lyrics, Telus managers loudly and lewdly rate their performances.
A Shania Twain look-alike sings a song to the tune of Up!, with lyrics about increasing shareholder value. A member of the judging panel tells her:
“I’m up. I’m up big time. You know that thing called the CN Tower? It’s right here in my pants.
“If I buy stock, would that be insider trading? Speaking of inside, do those pants come off?”
(It’s appalling, but perhaps not surprising. The culture that Telus CEO Darren Entwhistle has imposed — in his words, FIFO: “Fit In or Fuck Off” — is the kind of fear-driven environment where problems like sexual harrassment can fester.)
How big a a story is this on the Net? Well, I’m getting slammed by traffic today, just about all of it accounted for by people searching on “telus” and “idol”.
Telus’ line is that this was an isolated incident by rogue managers, and that Appropriate Action Has Been Taken. “Those actions were addressed. The managers were dealt with,” a corporate VP told The Tyee. (Not to mention “evasions were uttered.” What is it about the passive voice? It’s like a big glowing dirigible labeled “COME SEE THE P.R. DISASTER!”)
I’m not sympathetic to management here, but come on, people: PR this bad causes some vast karmic imbalance in the universe. It distorts ley lines, screws up the chi of entire cities and swaps people’s astrological signs at random.
Someone at Telus needs to break out of this, if only for the sake of our collective metaphysical well-being.
We are currently working on improving the quality of the original video,as it was obviously transfered from an analog vcr with poor tracking and worse audio.
Copies will be availaable in the format of your choice. For free. Complete with a verified cast of characters and credits.
In passing, it is worth mentioning that not only did this happen on Darren Entwistle’s watch, he is easily seen in several scenes.
Actualy, as far as we have been able to ascertain, the whole thing was his bright idea from the get go.
Talk about your ‘stamp of approval.
Telus has been busy attempting ( and in some cases succeeding)to eleminate access to the posted copies of this video, so for now actual locations of where copies reside are not being mentioned. We are also waiting for confirmation from the sites which have withdrawn access as to the amount of Telus involvement in their decision.
Unlike Drew, the official talking head, we prefer the truth, and we can recognize it without having to trip on it.
This video has been available since 2004, all major, and some minor media outlets had it given to them at that time. so where is the story?
Only in Canada eh? Well no, any former soviet block country, and any current 3rd world dictatorship actually.
Regards
This isn’t brand new news. I heard about it during the Telus fracas, and blogged about it back then. But I had the impression that it had already been kicking around for some time on the Web. Haven’t checked the Tyee story to see if it gives a history. Either way, it’s darned stupid of Telus.
Drew McArthur seems to have a reality problem. Perhaps he and fellow talking head Karen Radford (Calgary) need a remedial e.ethics course, as all other Telus employees were required to take. First they can teach them what ethics are.
Mr. McArthurs’ ‘managers have been dealt with’ I assume refers to what ever witch hunt took place to find whoever it was that taped the event, and the losers from Telus Idol who did not get to go on the next fun weekend in Paris, to do some more team building. Perhaps Mr. McArthur could explain who exactly ‘disciplined’ Mr. Entwistle, as he was front and center at the event.
On a variation on a theme, Telus lawyers have now taken to threatening other unions who are currently supporting the TWU in the fight for survival.
CUPW is the current victim, the threat can be found here, http://www.cupwnewvision.org/nedslawyer.pdf.
The cause of their concern plays well to the theme that has been predominate with Telus from the start Check it out at:http://www.cupwnewvision.org/scabs.htm.
And no, it is not illegal. The webmaster replies to the threat: http://www.cupwnewvision.org/scabs.htm
Telus can’t seem to get its’ head around the concept of leaving well enough alone.
This is what happens when a labour dispute (and it is officialy a lockout) becomes a personal vendetta. Mr.Entwistle is going to break the union at any cost, even that of destroying the company.
Telus‚Äô line is that this was an isolated “incident by rogue managers, and that Appropriate Action Has Been Taken. ‚ÄúThose actions were addressed. The managers were dealt with,‚Äù a corporate VP told The Tyee. (Not to mention ‚Äúevasions were uttered.‚Äù What is it about the passive voice? It‚Äôs like a big glowing dirigible labeled ‚ÄúCOME SEE THE P.R. DISASTER!‚Äù”
Darren entwistle (CEO) is on stage dancing in the video…
Can someone explain to me why I should care either way in the Telus labour dispute? A non-essential service company has a labour dispute, so what? How does this effect me in any way what so ever. I don’t use Telus for a phone service and I am not a shareholder of the company therefore I have no vested interest in this dispute.
These battles are not won in the media anymore because nobody cares. We all have issues we have to deal with (job security, fair pay, decent standard of living…). I would suggest both parties get back to talking… or don’t, like I said, nobody cares anymore.
The key issue in TELUS IDOL, particularly the full version is that it captures the need for collective agreement language that protects workers from the outrage of a TELUS IDOL and the possible criminal implications of the worst parts of the video.
What if someone comes forward who forced into a compromising position due to the environment they were in. What happens if there is worse corporate behavior by TELUS that happened then and carried on to the present day.
The language that protects workers would be stripped out. That a well known TELUS VP can actually say to an audience ” all you whites look the same to me” and not be reprimanded let alone discharged is a pretty searing indictment of TELUS as a whole.
Cossack
Speaking of TELUS Idol, the full version, does anyone know where I could download a copy of that? I have the short version (it’s available at the CUPWnewvision site)
(deleted at the request of the commenter)
I used to work for telus 2004 and I recently needed to call my reference there- I had an old list and I called everyone on the list. only 1 person works there now. all the dept. mgrs. and VP and directors are gone. It was the worst company I have ever worked for. and the products are not good either .
I think that telus has major problems that havent come home to roost yet.This stuff is minor. When it does,telus shares will fall like a house of cards. thats for sure.