The Telecommunications Workers Union and Telus may be back at the bargaining table in two to four weeks, union president Bruce Bell said Thursday.

But "given our experience with Telus over the past five years, I don't want to be prematurely optimistic," he added in a statement.

The union has seen no indication that Telus has changed its basic position. "We have not seen anything yet that indicates they've moved off their union-busting agenda," Bell said.

Telus workers picketing. (CP file photo)

Telus sent the union a letter about resuming bargaining, as the Canada Industrial Relations Board had ordered, Bell said.

The dispute has been running for more than 4 ½ years, but recently evolved into a strike/lockout.

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

Telus has taken aggressive steps to end the impasse, imposing its latest contract offer on July 22.

Nearly 14,000 TWU members were affected. In calling for picket lines to be set up on July 21, Bell said "it's about workers' right to job security and a decent standard of living, versus Telus's unrestricted corporate greed."

The union had previously rejected the Telus offer and refused to put it to a vote, as the company wanted.

The union made a counter offer to Telus on June 22, which the company rejected completely.

Telus said the union is living in the past, and the company needs "flexibility to compete on an even playing field with its competitors."