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Benchmark Pacts at AT&T Wireless, Broadband in Florida
Workers at AT&T Wireless Services in West Palm Beach, Fla., on July 26 unanimously ratified a three-year contract that is the first CWA has negotiated at Wireless and the second among new units organized under the two-year-old neutrality and consent election agreement.
“CWA Representative Mary Jo Sherman and Local 3112, especially Sec.-Treas. Ernie Johnson, deserve tremendous credit for holding the company’s feet to the fire through a full year of intense and often contentious negotiations,” said Jim Irvine, CWA vice president for Communications and Technologies.
The West Palm Beach Wireless workers — premiere customer market representatives, distribution reps, fraud management reps and other titles — won their expedited election 64-54 last summer despite a rabid campaign of intimidation by management, Irvine said.
“They quickly put a steward structure into place and continued to build their solidarity,” said Sherman, who chaired bargaining. “At the contract explanation meeting five more people joined the union.”
Also instrumental in achieving the pact were Local President Ed Ryan and AWS Steward Bonnie Muth.
Because the AWS workers received a substantial raise during negotiations, there is no immediate wage increase, but the pact guarantees a 3 percent average merit increase paid out in March 2001 for the 2000 plan year.
“Most important, the contract includes a wage reopener for March 2001.” Sherman said. “The company will negotiate and institute a merit and progression pay plan. These workers currently do not receive step increases.”
The pact introduces a 401(k) plan with 50 percent employer match on the first 6 percent of pay contributed by employees, a profit-sharing contribution targeted at 2 percent and a discretionary match fixed at 3 percent of pay for the 2000 plan year.
It guarantees other benefits currently in place for the life of the contract, including time-and-a-half for overtime, paid sick leave, holidays and vacation, and a choice of three health plans.
Workers may choose a preferred provider organization (PPO), traditional indemnity plan, or an exclusive provider organization/health maintenance organization (EPO/HMO) with $10 copay for office visits.
Job security provisions include “just cause” for discipline, a three-step grievance procedure and, for employees with at least nine months’ service, arbitration and mediation. The pact establishes a seniority system for accrual of service and layoff protection.
It provides for a minimum of 40 hours per employee “for education and training that is skill-based or job related,” Sherman said, and it establishes a joint safety committee with two representatives each from management and labor.
The West Palm Beach pact caps a month of bargaining victories at AT&T. On June 5, workers in Mesa, Ariz., won a first contract at AT&T Local Services. Then, after intense mobilization pressure from locals nationwide, the company agreed to a 401(k) plan and other retirement security provisions for cable workers at AT&T Broadband, another area covered by the consent election agreement. That agreement also provides for card-check recognition at specific locations and other remedies for anti-union actions by AT&T management at its subsidiaries. It establishes a mechanism for mediation and fact-finding in the negotiation of new contracts, with a mediator to make recommendations 90 days into bargaining.
Fremont and Peninsula Broadband
The July agreement to provide a 401(k) plan to Broadband employees broke the logjam that has for months prevented settlement on a new contract for AT&T cable workers who serve the Peninsula and Fremont, Calif., area near San Francisco. On Aug. 2, a tentative agreement reached July 24 for the unit of 180 Broadband workers was ratified 86-0.
“It’s clear that when employees have a choice to build their own union, uncoerced, they vote ‘Union, Yes.’” Irvine said.
AT&T acquired the unit when it purchased Tele-Communications Inc. in March 1999. The unit’s old contract expired Feb. 29, 1999. While a six-member bargaining team headed by District 9 Organizing Coordinator Libby Sayre was able to achieve substantial improvements over the old contract, retirement protection was the sticking point and rallying cry for members who turned out to support the bargaining committee at numerous unit meetings.
Local 9415 members conducted informational picketing at the Pleasanton, Calif., call center, and locals demonstrated support at other locations around the nation. Local 9415 President Kathy Kinchius announced contingency plans by the local to support a possible strike.
The two-year pact, retroactive to March 1, brings all employees into the AT&T Broadband 401(k) plan, with a full employer match up to 10 percent of salary, Irvine said.
In addition to other improvements, technicians will receive a 3 percent raise each year. Customer service representatives gain a 7 percent increase the first year, 3 percent the second year and a new progression scale that will allow them to reach top pay in three years instead of four.
“CWA Representative Mary Jo Sherman and Local 3112, especially Sec.-Treas. Ernie Johnson, deserve tremendous credit for holding the company’s feet to the fire through a full year of intense and often contentious negotiations,” said Jim Irvine, CWA vice president for Communications and Technologies.
The West Palm Beach Wireless workers — premiere customer market representatives, distribution reps, fraud management reps and other titles — won their expedited election 64-54 last summer despite a rabid campaign of intimidation by management, Irvine said.
“They quickly put a steward structure into place and continued to build their solidarity,” said Sherman, who chaired bargaining. “At the contract explanation meeting five more people joined the union.”
Also instrumental in achieving the pact were Local President Ed Ryan and AWS Steward Bonnie Muth.
Because the AWS workers received a substantial raise during negotiations, there is no immediate wage increase, but the pact guarantees a 3 percent average merit increase paid out in March 2001 for the 2000 plan year.
“Most important, the contract includes a wage reopener for March 2001.” Sherman said. “The company will negotiate and institute a merit and progression pay plan. These workers currently do not receive step increases.”
The pact introduces a 401(k) plan with 50 percent employer match on the first 6 percent of pay contributed by employees, a profit-sharing contribution targeted at 2 percent and a discretionary match fixed at 3 percent of pay for the 2000 plan year.
It guarantees other benefits currently in place for the life of the contract, including time-and-a-half for overtime, paid sick leave, holidays and vacation, and a choice of three health plans.
Workers may choose a preferred provider organization (PPO), traditional indemnity plan, or an exclusive provider organization/health maintenance organization (EPO/HMO) with $10 copay for office visits.
Job security provisions include “just cause” for discipline, a three-step grievance procedure and, for employees with at least nine months’ service, arbitration and mediation. The pact establishes a seniority system for accrual of service and layoff protection.
It provides for a minimum of 40 hours per employee “for education and training that is skill-based or job related,” Sherman said, and it establishes a joint safety committee with two representatives each from management and labor.
The West Palm Beach pact caps a month of bargaining victories at AT&T. On June 5, workers in Mesa, Ariz., won a first contract at AT&T Local Services. Then, after intense mobilization pressure from locals nationwide, the company agreed to a 401(k) plan and other retirement security provisions for cable workers at AT&T Broadband, another area covered by the consent election agreement. That agreement also provides for card-check recognition at specific locations and other remedies for anti-union actions by AT&T management at its subsidiaries. It establishes a mechanism for mediation and fact-finding in the negotiation of new contracts, with a mediator to make recommendations 90 days into bargaining.
Fremont and Peninsula Broadband
The July agreement to provide a 401(k) plan to Broadband employees broke the logjam that has for months prevented settlement on a new contract for AT&T cable workers who serve the Peninsula and Fremont, Calif., area near San Francisco. On Aug. 2, a tentative agreement reached July 24 for the unit of 180 Broadband workers was ratified 86-0.
“It’s clear that when employees have a choice to build their own union, uncoerced, they vote ‘Union, Yes.’” Irvine said.
AT&T acquired the unit when it purchased Tele-Communications Inc. in March 1999. The unit’s old contract expired Feb. 29, 1999. While a six-member bargaining team headed by District 9 Organizing Coordinator Libby Sayre was able to achieve substantial improvements over the old contract, retirement protection was the sticking point and rallying cry for members who turned out to support the bargaining committee at numerous unit meetings.
Local 9415 members conducted informational picketing at the Pleasanton, Calif., call center, and locals demonstrated support at other locations around the nation. Local 9415 President Kathy Kinchius announced contingency plans by the local to support a possible strike.
The two-year pact, retroactive to March 1, brings all employees into the AT&T Broadband 401(k) plan, with a full employer match up to 10 percent of salary, Irvine said.
In addition to other improvements, technicians will receive a 3 percent raise each year. Customer service representatives gain a 7 percent increase the first year, 3 percent the second year and a new progression scale that will allow them to reach top pay in three years instead of four.