Bargaining Update

Envoy Air and Piedmont Airlines

As Envoy Air agents returned to the bargaining table this week, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) sent a letter along with 31 other Members of Congress to American Airlines CEO Doug Parker calling on the company to pay its employees living wages at American Airlines subsidiaries Envoy Air and Piedmont Airlines.

"American Airlines recently announced plans to use $2 billion in company profits to buy back stock through 2020. This is evidence that you have a high level of confidence in your future profitability, and we believe that Envoy and Piedmont passenger service agents deserve to share in that profitability since they are such a key part of American's success," the letter said.

In a video update, the Envoy bargaining committee reported that they have made some progress toward a fair contract, but that several key issues remain to be resolved. The next bargaining session is scheduled for July.

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Nokia

CWA, representing about 350 workers who are mostly installers, is currently bargaining with Nokia. The company has presented only one proposal in bargaining; it would result in the complete annihilation of one of the oldest bargaining units in CWA. The unit has more than 100 years of history originally as Western Electric, then AT&T Technologies, Lucent Technologies, Alcatel-Lucent, and now Nokia.

Nokia's latest scheme is to eliminate its unionized workforce and move to a third-party service provider model that will cause hundreds of U.S. workers to lose their jobs. Future work would be subcontracted and, in some cases, handled abroad. Losing this work would destroy the unit for American workers and retirees.

Nokia workers are urging the company not to eliminate American jobs and benefits, and to bargain in good faith with the union for a fair deal that allows Nokia to invest in the U.S., to keep its long-standing installer workforce, and to maintain the quality of service and our telecommunications infrastructure for U.S. customers.

The workers are set to take a strike authorization vote by the end of the month.

CWA members showed up in full force at the Nokia facility in Murray Hill, N.J., this week to fight for a fair contract.

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City of Boston Credit Union

CWA Local 1400 members have reached a tentative agreement with City of Boston Credit Union. The new five-year contract includes wage increases, new options for disability insurance, no increase to health insurance premiums over the next several years, and more.