After Huge Bonuses, Frontier Execs Want Cutbacks from Workers

In a tune that's really getting old, Frontier Communications is pushing for big cuts from its CWA- and IBEW-represented workers after seeing fit to reward themselves with huge bonuses averaging 77 percent.

The unions are now negotiating new contracts covering Frontier workers in West Virginia, and they want the company to bring parity to "legacy" Frontier employees who worked at the company before Frontier bought Verizon's landline business last year. These workers earn much less than their former Verizion co-workers.

Negotiations cover some 2,300 Frontier workers in the state represented by CWA Locals 2001 and 2276. Local 2001's contract expired July 31 and the contract for Local 2276 members runs out August 20. CWA Local 3673 is also in the middle of bargaining for over 100 "spinco" workers (ex-Verizon) in Whittier, North Carolina. Their contract expired in April but they are working under an extension. Overall, CWA and IBEW represent more than 9,000 Frontier workers in 27 states and six CWA districts.

"These employees are working side by side, city by city, town to town, doing the same work," said District 2-13 Representative Elaine Harris who chairs the bargaining for Locals 2001 and 2276. "Why shouldn't they be paid the same. Wage parity is crucial," she stated.

The company is trotting out the familiar corporate line about having to remain "competitive" and seeking "market-based" compensation for its employees, but Frontier's top executives recently won huge bonuses, averaging 77 percent. Last year, compensation for CEO Maggie Wilderotter shot up from $4.8 million to $8.6 million. Pay for Frontier's CFO, Donald Shassian, jumped from $1.8 million to $2.7 million, and COO Daniel McCarthy's pay rose from $1.2 million to $2.2 million. The combined pay for two other top execs rose from $953,000 to $2.9 million.

"The priority for Frontier's top executives is to cut middle-class jobs and enrich themselves," said Harris. "If things are so good up there, then what about workers?" she asked.