Bargaining Update

Tentative Agreement Reached at US Airways

CWA and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a tentative agreement covering 6,500 passenger service employees at US Airways. Read more about the agreement here.

The tentative agreement provides for wage increases at every step for all passenger service employees and includes a ratification bonus. It also provides critical job security protections, an important issue for workers as the US Airways-American Airlines merger goes forward.

Agents from US Airways and American Airlines have launched a joint campaign to make certain they have a strong union voice at the merged airline.

"Working together, passenger service employees at US Airways have built a strong, united group that will continue to make advances for all agents as the US Airways-American Airlines merger proceeds," said CWA Chief of Staff Ron Collins.

The IBT and CWA together represent the reservations and airport agents.

Balloting information will be sent out August 14, with telephone and electronic ballots tabulated on August 28.

Frontier Communications

CWA local union presidents representing 1,600 CWAers at Frontier Communications in West Virginia agreed to extend the contract through Oct. 12, 2013 while negotiations continue. The contract was to expire on Aug. 2.

On last week's town hall call, the CWA bargaining team said it was committed to getting a quality contract at Frontier: "Frontier made a commitment to us and to the state of West Virginia to keep good jobs in our state and we're going to hold the company to that pledge," the committee said. "This bargaining committee will not give up and will fight for our members' futures."

"We'll all keep working to get a fair contract: our bargaining committee, elected officials who are standing with us, community groups and everyone who has a stake in this," said CWA District 2-13 Vice President Ed Mooney.

OFS

Bargaining continues with OFS Fiber Optics for a new contract covering about 280 CWA members at plants in Sturbridge, Mass., and Atlanta, Ga. CWA's Telecommunications and Technologies bargaining team resumed negotiations after an earlier tentative agreement was turned down by members. OFS workers manufacture high performance fibers for video, voice and data transmission.

EFE Guild members hold hands during mobilization in Miami.

EFE News Service

After 20 months of tough bargaining, Guild negotiators announced a tentative agreement with EFE News Services that provides a two-year period of unpaid furloughs, followed by the first wage increase for the company's U.S. staff since 2008.

Guild leadership has approved the tentative pact, which now goes to members for a ratification vote. Read more here.

Bulletin in the Philadelphia AP bureau.

AP

The News Media Guild and the Associated Press continue negotiations on a new contract. Bargainers discussed a wide range of issues including photographers, mileage minimums, workloads and Invision. Read more here. 

AT&T Internet

AT&T Internet Service workers, who have been working without a contract since July 14, rally in Dallas on Tuesday.

Below: CWA Local 6508 members held an informational picket in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Bargaining continues for a new contract covering 3,000 technicians and call center workers in 14 states at AT&T Internet. Members of CWA Local 6215 rallied outside AT&T headquarters in Dallas, calling on the company to bargain a fair contract for Internet workers. AT&T recently bought the naming rights for the Dallas Cowboys football stadium. CWA District 6 Vice President Claude Cummings joined the rally, and said AT&T was put on notice that workers would rally until a fair contract is reached.

CWA Local 9413 Vice President Mayette Arii on "Pack Your Bags" day.

CWA Local 4900 tried a new approach to communicating with members after management complained about workers posting union information in their cubicles. Check out the floating leaflets (bottom right).