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Bargaining Underway For 100,000 at SBC
Bargaining kicked off in February for new contracts covering 100,000 workers at SBC Communications in four CWA districts.
Members in Districts 1, 4, 6 and 9 marked the start of bargaining in each district by wearing stickers that proclaimed workers are "Taking a stand for jobs and health care."
Workers wore red or black shirts, told SBC that "Cutting health care is a sick idea," held rallies and solidarity events, and marched into work together to show their support for their bargaining teams, among other actions. The four contracts expire in early April.
In Pleasanton, Calif., bargaining chair Jim Weitkamp, assistant to District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler, opened the talks on Feb. 12. He told company negotiators that CWA agreed completely with the words of SBC top executive, Ed Whitacre, who has declared, "SBC has the right strategy, the right team, the right assets and the best markets" and who has stressed that, "We've made it through some extremely challenging times and turned the corner toward a brighter future."
Whitacre's words "are not just rhetoric. SBC's position in the industry is the product of our members' labor," Weitkamp said. Citing gains in profits and operating income at the company, Weitkamp stressed that "It is inarguable and inescapable that our members deserve their fair share of this success in the form of significant increases in base wages, pensions and benefits."
SBC also must recognize that "jobs, jobs and more jobs" in the growing areas of the company is a critical issue for workers, he said.
Locals from Northern California and Nevada rallied on the steps of the state capitol in Sacramento, with busloads of stewards, activists and officers on hand to make certain SBC gets the message that CWA members are united in their goals at SBC.
The crowd of more than 500 included many elected officials, including state Treasurer Phil Angiledes, and labor leaders including California AFL-CIO President Tim Rankin, and other union representatives.
Kicking off the rally was CWA Local 9421 President Greg Ball, who also heads the CWA Northern California/Nevada Council. CWA Local 9423 Pres. Louie Rocha led "warm-up" chants.
Other California locals held informational pickets before work and during lunch, marched into work together to show their solidarity at the start of bargaining and distributed mini-picket signs for members' desks and vehicles.
A week later, CWA District 4 Vice President Jeff Rechenbach opened contract talks in Chicago covering 27,000 workers at SBC Midwest (formerly Ameritech). That same day in Austin, Texas, bargaining got underway for 37,000 workers at SBC Southwest (formerly Southwestern Bell). CWA District 6 Vice President Andy Milburn opened the talks; Bill Davis, his assistant, is heading the bargaining committee.
In his remarks, Rechenbach anticipated management's efforts to downplay the company's economic position and pointed out that over the last three years, revenue per employee has increased every year, net income per wireline employee has increased 19.8 percent since 2001 and profits have increased 5.5 percent to $7.4 billion.
"It's clear that CWA members have done more than their part in improving SBC's 'cost structure.'" he said.
Rechenbach said that in this round of bargaining, workers are looking for improvements in employment security, including the return of workers laid off since last December, and access to the jobs being created by changing technology. That work should be recognized "as the evolution of traditional telephone work," he said.
In Austin, Milburn outlined CWA's bargaining goals and reminded company negotiators that shifting costs to workers is no solution to the national problem of rising health care costs. He pointed to joint health care efforts that have enabled SBC to save millions of dollars by managing costs yet providing quality care, adding, "We will continue to work together on this issue."
Bargaining got underway for 6,000 workers at SBC East (formerly Southern New England Telephone), members of CWA Local 1298, on Feb. 23. The bargaining team is led by CWA District 1 Area Director Dennis Trainor, who stressed that CWA members, past and present, are directly responsible for SBC's success. "We have invested our livelihoods in this company and therefore deserve a share of that success by means of formidable wages and benefits," he said.
The CWA team presented proposals that included improvements in jobs and employment security, quality health care benefits for active and retired members, pension improvements and other provisions.
Also underway is bargaining for a new contract covering 250 workers at SBC Yellow Pages. The bargaining committee is led by CWA Representative Pat Telesco.
At SBC East, active and retired workers have been meeting and mobilizing, preparing to fight back against the company's attempt to reduce workers' health care benefits.
A group of some 300 retirees and current employees - that met to plan how to fight SBC's attack on retiree benefits and cost shifting - scored an early victory. Their planned protest outside a Yale University hotel where SBC chief executive officer Ed Whitacre was to speak got the company's attention, and he agreed to meet with them, as well as with retirees in Districts 4, 6 and 9. Ed Creegan, chairman of the CWA Retired Members Council, is working with SBC retirees.
Members in Districts 1, 4, 6 and 9 marked the start of bargaining in each district by wearing stickers that proclaimed workers are "Taking a stand for jobs and health care."
Workers wore red or black shirts, told SBC that "Cutting health care is a sick idea," held rallies and solidarity events, and marched into work together to show their support for their bargaining teams, among other actions. The four contracts expire in early April.
In Pleasanton, Calif., bargaining chair Jim Weitkamp, assistant to District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler, opened the talks on Feb. 12. He told company negotiators that CWA agreed completely with the words of SBC top executive, Ed Whitacre, who has declared, "SBC has the right strategy, the right team, the right assets and the best markets" and who has stressed that, "We've made it through some extremely challenging times and turned the corner toward a brighter future."
Whitacre's words "are not just rhetoric. SBC's position in the industry is the product of our members' labor," Weitkamp said. Citing gains in profits and operating income at the company, Weitkamp stressed that "It is inarguable and inescapable that our members deserve their fair share of this success in the form of significant increases in base wages, pensions and benefits."
SBC also must recognize that "jobs, jobs and more jobs" in the growing areas of the company is a critical issue for workers, he said.
Locals from Northern California and Nevada rallied on the steps of the state capitol in Sacramento, with busloads of stewards, activists and officers on hand to make certain SBC gets the message that CWA members are united in their goals at SBC.
The crowd of more than 500 included many elected officials, including state Treasurer Phil Angiledes, and labor leaders including California AFL-CIO President Tim Rankin, and other union representatives.
Kicking off the rally was CWA Local 9421 President Greg Ball, who also heads the CWA Northern California/Nevada Council. CWA Local 9423 Pres. Louie Rocha led "warm-up" chants.
Other California locals held informational pickets before work and during lunch, marched into work together to show their solidarity at the start of bargaining and distributed mini-picket signs for members' desks and vehicles.
A week later, CWA District 4 Vice President Jeff Rechenbach opened contract talks in Chicago covering 27,000 workers at SBC Midwest (formerly Ameritech). That same day in Austin, Texas, bargaining got underway for 37,000 workers at SBC Southwest (formerly Southwestern Bell). CWA District 6 Vice President Andy Milburn opened the talks; Bill Davis, his assistant, is heading the bargaining committee.
In his remarks, Rechenbach anticipated management's efforts to downplay the company's economic position and pointed out that over the last three years, revenue per employee has increased every year, net income per wireline employee has increased 19.8 percent since 2001 and profits have increased 5.5 percent to $7.4 billion.
"It's clear that CWA members have done more than their part in improving SBC's 'cost structure.'" he said.
Rechenbach said that in this round of bargaining, workers are looking for improvements in employment security, including the return of workers laid off since last December, and access to the jobs being created by changing technology. That work should be recognized "as the evolution of traditional telephone work," he said.
In Austin, Milburn outlined CWA's bargaining goals and reminded company negotiators that shifting costs to workers is no solution to the national problem of rising health care costs. He pointed to joint health care efforts that have enabled SBC to save millions of dollars by managing costs yet providing quality care, adding, "We will continue to work together on this issue."
Bargaining got underway for 6,000 workers at SBC East (formerly Southern New England Telephone), members of CWA Local 1298, on Feb. 23. The bargaining team is led by CWA District 1 Area Director Dennis Trainor, who stressed that CWA members, past and present, are directly responsible for SBC's success. "We have invested our livelihoods in this company and therefore deserve a share of that success by means of formidable wages and benefits," he said.
The CWA team presented proposals that included improvements in jobs and employment security, quality health care benefits for active and retired members, pension improvements and other provisions.
Also underway is bargaining for a new contract covering 250 workers at SBC Yellow Pages. The bargaining committee is led by CWA Representative Pat Telesco.
At SBC East, active and retired workers have been meeting and mobilizing, preparing to fight back against the company's attempt to reduce workers' health care benefits.
A group of some 300 retirees and current employees - that met to plan how to fight SBC's attack on retiree benefits and cost shifting - scored an early victory. Their planned protest outside a Yale University hotel where SBC chief executive officer Ed Whitacre was to speak got the company's attention, and he agreed to meet with them, as well as with retirees in Districts 4, 6 and 9. Ed Creegan, chairman of the CWA Retired Members Council, is working with SBC retirees.