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Bargaining Settlements
Strike at Bell Atlantic Wins Pact That Creates 'Good American Jobs'
The 73,000 CWA-represented workers at Bell Atlantic ("North" and "South") went on strike at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 9 - and walked back in the doors 34 hours later with a settlement that "guarantees that the growth jobs of the information future will be done by CWA members."
CWA President Morton Bahr, facing a battery of television and print reporters at a news conference on Aug. 11 to announce the tentative two-year pact, said, "This strike was never about the usual issues like wages, pensions and health care - those issues were settled weeks ago. The strike was about creating good American jobs for the 21st century."
It guarantees that CWA members "will do all the work that we associate with the information superhighway," Bahr said, including the construction of "a new global data network" and systems integration work "that until now has been exclusively contracted out."
The settlement provides that CWA members will perform work related to data network integration, digital subscriber lines, the Internet, video services, alarm monitoring, service and sale of bundled services, and long distance.
It also provides that customer account work that had been done at a non-union "Bell Atlantic Plus" center in Hampton, Va. will be transferred back to CWA-represented offices.
The company agreed to recognize CWA at any present or future non-union work units, with the exception of Bell Atlantic Mobile, when a majority of workers sign cards asking for union representation.
CWA Vice Presidents Larry Mancino of District 1, Peter Catucci of District 2 and Vincent Maisano of District 13 headed up the teams that bargained the pact for telephone workers in the former NYNEX region covering New England and New York (Bell Atlantic "North") and the southern region comprising the pre-merger Bell Atlantic (Bell Atlantic "South").
The two-year pact features an immediate 3.8-percent wage increase and a further 4 percent on Aug. 9, 1999, plus bonuses and profit-sharing awards if targets are met, as well as hefty pension increases and restrictions on mandatory overtime. CWA members at Bell Atlantic "South" won overtime restrictions that had been long sought, because of past mandatory abuses. Bell Atlantic "North," as well as Pennsylvania and Delaware already had many restrictions in place.
The new agreement for the "South" limits involuntary overtime assignments for any individual to no more than 10 hours per week during seven months of the calendar year, and no more than 15 hours overtime during the other five months. The new agreement also requires that overtime be voluntary where possible, bars managers from forcing workers to work consecutive six-day weeks, requires the company to accept reasonable excuses for declining overtime, and adds 300 new technical jobs to ease the load.
At Bell Atlantic "North," management agreed to create between 720 and 960 new jobs for field technicians, central office technicians and customer service representatives, in addition to offering permanent jobs to 3,000 temporary workers. Pension benefit increases range from 11 to 20 percent. At Bell Atlantic "North," the "six and six" early retirement incentive was extended from August 8, 1998 through December 31, 1999; eligible members who postpone retirement until after January 1, 2001 can choose whichever pension amount is greater - the enhanced pension they would have received had they accepted the early retirement offer, or whatever the negotiated pension is at that time.
Among other highlights in the "South" agreement are improvements in procedures for the medical disability plan including third-party mediation of disputes over medical opinions, and establishment of a new legal assistance plan.
CWA represents Bell Atlantic employ-ees in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York and New Jersey (in District 1); Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia (in District 2), and Pennsylvania and Delaware (District 13).
Ratification results are to be announced on Sept. 10.
Mobilized Members Deliver Bell South Contract
While contract talks came down to the wire, a new three-year agreement at BellSouth was won through tough bargaining and effective mobilization by CWA members throughout BellSouth territory.
"This has been a long, hard bargaining session," but one in which the company came to address the issues that are critical to CWA members, said District 3 Vice President Jimmy Smith, CWA's chief negotiator in the BellSouth talks.
CWA members at BellSouth made gains in several key areas, including access and opportunity for the jobs of the future; fair wage and benefit increases; and new policies to help alleviate excessive forced overtime.
BellSouth agreed that employees of its newly created long distance company will be union-represented, giving CWA members the opportunity to move into one of the company's newest planned operations. The settlement also opens up access by CWA members to non-union jobs through a new provision for expedited union representation elections, and also provides for neutrality in organizing campaigns.
The contract provides semi-annual base wage increases totaling 12.4 percent over the contract term. In addition, workers will receive a $500 ratification bonus and incentive plan payments of 2 percent to 2.5 percent for plan years 1999 and 2000.
The settlement also includes an 11- percent increase in pension bands, additional pension improvements and an improved cash balance account plan that will allow workers to take lump sum cash payouts beginning in 1999.
CWA members used every opportunity to make the public aware that because of its demands for excessive, forced overtime, "BellSouth has no family values." From Greensboro, N.C. to Memphis, Tenn., CWA members rallied and leafletted, citing the effects of working employees as much as 70 hours a week or constant six-day weeks on customer service, and the need for BellSouth to hire more workers.
BellSouth has agreed to hire additional workers and to implement new policies to curb levels of mandatory overtime, which had become excessive. These policies include an agreement by BellSouth to require no forced overtime as long as there are workers available willing to volunteer for the extra hours, and new limits on the extent of forced overtime required of any worker.
GTE Southwest and Supply Pacts Boost Pay and Benefits
CWA reached a tentative agreement with GTE Southwest on a three-year contract covering 5,200 workers in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, Aug. 19, then wrapped up a second contract on behalf of 200 workers at GTE Supply late the following evening.
The agreements provide substantial pay and benefit increases, ranging from 11.3 percent to 12.4 percent in the base wage, depending upon whether employees work in metropolitan or non-metropolitan areas. Team performance awards are improved from a current standard payout of 1 percent to a new standard of 4 percent by end of term, representing a gain of 3 percent to members. Total pay is projected to increase 15.4 percent, non-metropolitan, and 14.3 percent, metropolitan. Additional pay incentives are provided for customer service, retail sales and public communications representatives.
The pacts also provide improvements in vacation, pension and health benefits and will include additional enhancements to be negotiated at the national table. "The bargaining committees did an excellent job. We believe these are the best contracts we've negotiated with GTE in several sessions," said Ben Turn Jr., CWA District 6 vice president. "This round of negotiations was also exciting, because for the first time GTE has agreed to bargain on a national basis on several issues including neutrality in organizing campaigns, education benefits, vacation banking, business attire, increased company match in its hourly savings plan, and a cash balance pension study. Bargaining has already begun at that level and will continue following the CWA convention."
CWA Representative Currie Hallford, who headed bargaining at the South-west table, received a memo of understanding to that effect from Ron Johnson, labor relations director, GTE West.
Said T.O. Moses, CWA vice president for telecommunications, "I'm proud of the fact that both committees worked so incredibly hard in these negotiations. They were extremely persistent in dealing with our members' issues."
CWA Representative Michael Littleton headed bargaining at the GTE Supply table, with District 6 Southern Area Director Bill Davis coordinating work on the two contracts. Turn and Moses participated in both sets of negotiations, facilitated by John Howard, assistant to the telecommunications vice president.
GTE employees with town classifications "A," non-metropolitan, will receive general wage increases, compounded over three years, amounting to 12.4 percent: 2 percent effective Aug. 16; 1.8 percent, Feb. 14, 1999; 2.25 percent, Aug. 15, 1999; 1.75 percent, Feb. 13, 2000; 2.25 percent, Aug. 13, 2000; and 1.75 percent, Feb. 18, 2001. Metropolitan and suburban workers with "1-A" town classifications will see increases of 11.3 percent compounded: 2 percent, Aug. 16; 1.8 percent, Feb. 14, 1999; 2 percent, Aug. 15, 1999; 1.5 percent, Feb. 13, 2000; 2 percent, Aug. 13, 2000; and 1.5 percent, Feb. 18, 2001.
Team performance awards improve to 1.5 percent for 1998, 2.5 percent for 1999, 3.5 percent for 2000 and 4 percent for 2001.
The pacts provide three weeks vacation after five years instead of eight; minimum pensions of $11,700 instead of $10,850; improvements in the employee adjustment income plan; an improved comprehensive medical plan with point-of-service, mostly 100-percent paid, available for the first time in some areas, and new lower-cost PPO network for workers covered by indemnity plans. A long-term disability plan has been added. Differential and premium pay have been raised.
With strike authorization votes in hand, CWA bargainers pulled out the Southwest contract at 11:05 p.m., less than an hour before an extended deadline of midnight Aug. 19. Turn said he felt the Supply table was sufficiently close that he "stopped the clock," allowing the negotiations to continue the following day and evening.
Other GTE contract deadlines are Sept. 26, GTE Northwest, 400 workers; Oct. 17, GTE Virginia-Richland, 70 workers; Jan. 30, 1999, GTE Wisconsin, 1,000 workers; Feb. 28, GTE Southwest/ New Mexico, 60 workers; March 6, GTE Missouri, 900 workers; March 9, GTE Alabama, 300 workers; and March 13, GTE California, 10,000 workers.
The 73,000 CWA-represented workers at Bell Atlantic ("North" and "South") went on strike at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 9 - and walked back in the doors 34 hours later with a settlement that "guarantees that the growth jobs of the information future will be done by CWA members."
CWA President Morton Bahr, facing a battery of television and print reporters at a news conference on Aug. 11 to announce the tentative two-year pact, said, "This strike was never about the usual issues like wages, pensions and health care - those issues were settled weeks ago. The strike was about creating good American jobs for the 21st century."
It guarantees that CWA members "will do all the work that we associate with the information superhighway," Bahr said, including the construction of "a new global data network" and systems integration work "that until now has been exclusively contracted out."
The settlement provides that CWA members will perform work related to data network integration, digital subscriber lines, the Internet, video services, alarm monitoring, service and sale of bundled services, and long distance.
It also provides that customer account work that had been done at a non-union "Bell Atlantic Plus" center in Hampton, Va. will be transferred back to CWA-represented offices.
The company agreed to recognize CWA at any present or future non-union work units, with the exception of Bell Atlantic Mobile, when a majority of workers sign cards asking for union representation.
CWA Vice Presidents Larry Mancino of District 1, Peter Catucci of District 2 and Vincent Maisano of District 13 headed up the teams that bargained the pact for telephone workers in the former NYNEX region covering New England and New York (Bell Atlantic "North") and the southern region comprising the pre-merger Bell Atlantic (Bell Atlantic "South").
The two-year pact features an immediate 3.8-percent wage increase and a further 4 percent on Aug. 9, 1999, plus bonuses and profit-sharing awards if targets are met, as well as hefty pension increases and restrictions on mandatory overtime. CWA members at Bell Atlantic "South" won overtime restrictions that had been long sought, because of past mandatory abuses. Bell Atlantic "North," as well as Pennsylvania and Delaware already had many restrictions in place.
The new agreement for the "South" limits involuntary overtime assignments for any individual to no more than 10 hours per week during seven months of the calendar year, and no more than 15 hours overtime during the other five months. The new agreement also requires that overtime be voluntary where possible, bars managers from forcing workers to work consecutive six-day weeks, requires the company to accept reasonable excuses for declining overtime, and adds 300 new technical jobs to ease the load.
At Bell Atlantic "North," management agreed to create between 720 and 960 new jobs for field technicians, central office technicians and customer service representatives, in addition to offering permanent jobs to 3,000 temporary workers. Pension benefit increases range from 11 to 20 percent. At Bell Atlantic "North," the "six and six" early retirement incentive was extended from August 8, 1998 through December 31, 1999; eligible members who postpone retirement until after January 1, 2001 can choose whichever pension amount is greater - the enhanced pension they would have received had they accepted the early retirement offer, or whatever the negotiated pension is at that time.
Among other highlights in the "South" agreement are improvements in procedures for the medical disability plan including third-party mediation of disputes over medical opinions, and establishment of a new legal assistance plan.
CWA represents Bell Atlantic employ-ees in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York and New Jersey (in District 1); Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia (in District 2), and Pennsylvania and Delaware (District 13).
Ratification results are to be announced on Sept. 10.
Mobilized Members Deliver Bell South Contract
While contract talks came down to the wire, a new three-year agreement at BellSouth was won through tough bargaining and effective mobilization by CWA members throughout BellSouth territory.
"This has been a long, hard bargaining session," but one in which the company came to address the issues that are critical to CWA members, said District 3 Vice President Jimmy Smith, CWA's chief negotiator in the BellSouth talks.
CWA members at BellSouth made gains in several key areas, including access and opportunity for the jobs of the future; fair wage and benefit increases; and new policies to help alleviate excessive forced overtime.
BellSouth agreed that employees of its newly created long distance company will be union-represented, giving CWA members the opportunity to move into one of the company's newest planned operations. The settlement also opens up access by CWA members to non-union jobs through a new provision for expedited union representation elections, and also provides for neutrality in organizing campaigns.
The contract provides semi-annual base wage increases totaling 12.4 percent over the contract term. In addition, workers will receive a $500 ratification bonus and incentive plan payments of 2 percent to 2.5 percent for plan years 1999 and 2000.
The settlement also includes an 11- percent increase in pension bands, additional pension improvements and an improved cash balance account plan that will allow workers to take lump sum cash payouts beginning in 1999.
CWA members used every opportunity to make the public aware that because of its demands for excessive, forced overtime, "BellSouth has no family values." From Greensboro, N.C. to Memphis, Tenn., CWA members rallied and leafletted, citing the effects of working employees as much as 70 hours a week or constant six-day weeks on customer service, and the need for BellSouth to hire more workers.
BellSouth has agreed to hire additional workers and to implement new policies to curb levels of mandatory overtime, which had become excessive. These policies include an agreement by BellSouth to require no forced overtime as long as there are workers available willing to volunteer for the extra hours, and new limits on the extent of forced overtime required of any worker.
GTE Southwest and Supply Pacts Boost Pay and Benefits
CWA reached a tentative agreement with GTE Southwest on a three-year contract covering 5,200 workers in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, Aug. 19, then wrapped up a second contract on behalf of 200 workers at GTE Supply late the following evening.
The agreements provide substantial pay and benefit increases, ranging from 11.3 percent to 12.4 percent in the base wage, depending upon whether employees work in metropolitan or non-metropolitan areas. Team performance awards are improved from a current standard payout of 1 percent to a new standard of 4 percent by end of term, representing a gain of 3 percent to members. Total pay is projected to increase 15.4 percent, non-metropolitan, and 14.3 percent, metropolitan. Additional pay incentives are provided for customer service, retail sales and public communications representatives.
The pacts also provide improvements in vacation, pension and health benefits and will include additional enhancements to be negotiated at the national table. "The bargaining committees did an excellent job. We believe these are the best contracts we've negotiated with GTE in several sessions," said Ben Turn Jr., CWA District 6 vice president. "This round of negotiations was also exciting, because for the first time GTE has agreed to bargain on a national basis on several issues including neutrality in organizing campaigns, education benefits, vacation banking, business attire, increased company match in its hourly savings plan, and a cash balance pension study. Bargaining has already begun at that level and will continue following the CWA convention."
CWA Representative Currie Hallford, who headed bargaining at the South-west table, received a memo of understanding to that effect from Ron Johnson, labor relations director, GTE West.
Said T.O. Moses, CWA vice president for telecommunications, "I'm proud of the fact that both committees worked so incredibly hard in these negotiations. They were extremely persistent in dealing with our members' issues."
CWA Representative Michael Littleton headed bargaining at the GTE Supply table, with District 6 Southern Area Director Bill Davis coordinating work on the two contracts. Turn and Moses participated in both sets of negotiations, facilitated by John Howard, assistant to the telecommunications vice president.
GTE employees with town classifications "A," non-metropolitan, will receive general wage increases, compounded over three years, amounting to 12.4 percent: 2 percent effective Aug. 16; 1.8 percent, Feb. 14, 1999; 2.25 percent, Aug. 15, 1999; 1.75 percent, Feb. 13, 2000; 2.25 percent, Aug. 13, 2000; and 1.75 percent, Feb. 18, 2001. Metropolitan and suburban workers with "1-A" town classifications will see increases of 11.3 percent compounded: 2 percent, Aug. 16; 1.8 percent, Feb. 14, 1999; 2 percent, Aug. 15, 1999; 1.5 percent, Feb. 13, 2000; 2 percent, Aug. 13, 2000; and 1.5 percent, Feb. 18, 2001.
Team performance awards improve to 1.5 percent for 1998, 2.5 percent for 1999, 3.5 percent for 2000 and 4 percent for 2001.
The pacts provide three weeks vacation after five years instead of eight; minimum pensions of $11,700 instead of $10,850; improvements in the employee adjustment income plan; an improved comprehensive medical plan with point-of-service, mostly 100-percent paid, available for the first time in some areas, and new lower-cost PPO network for workers covered by indemnity plans. A long-term disability plan has been added. Differential and premium pay have been raised.
With strike authorization votes in hand, CWA bargainers pulled out the Southwest contract at 11:05 p.m., less than an hour before an extended deadline of midnight Aug. 19. Turn said he felt the Supply table was sufficiently close that he "stopped the clock," allowing the negotiations to continue the following day and evening.
Other GTE contract deadlines are Sept. 26, GTE Northwest, 400 workers; Oct. 17, GTE Virginia-Richland, 70 workers; Jan. 30, 1999, GTE Wisconsin, 1,000 workers; Feb. 28, GTE Southwest/ New Mexico, 60 workers; March 6, GTE Missouri, 900 workers; March 9, GTE Alabama, 300 workers; and March 13, GTE California, 10,000 workers.