Picket lines started going up on Thursday as unionized workers at Telus walked off the job a day ahead of the company's planned deadline to impose a contract.

The union said pickets lines went up across Alberta and British Columbia, beginning at 6:00 a.m. local time.

The Telecommunications Workers Union represents about 13,700 Telus employees, mainly in those two provinces.

Contract talks between Telus and the TWU began nearly five years ago and have gone nowhere.

Telus said on July 12 that it was going to implement its most recent offer to the TWU in an effort to end the dispute.

• FROM JULY 12, 2005: Telus to implement most recent offer to union

As of July 22, the workers will be paid under the terms of a contract offer Telus made on April 13 and upgraded on June 14.

The union had previously rejected the offer and refused to put it to a vote, as Telus requested. "Since the company's offer was not negotiated with the union, it does not warrant a vote," the union said in a July 8 posting on its website.

Telus shares were off 95 cents at $41.95 on the TSX.