Search News
For the Media
For media inquiries, call CWA Communications at 202-434-1168 or email comms@cwa-union.org. To read about CWA Members, Leadership or Industries, visit our About page.
Cingular Workers Win Respect, Raises
CWA has won a first contract for more than 2,100 workers at Cingular Wireless operations in Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Maryland.
The agreement is a big victory for wireless workers who have been organizing and mobilizing for a contract for more than a year. It provides wage increases and much more for technicians, customer service representatives and retail sales workers.
Cingular, created by the merger of SBC and BellSouth wireless companies, is the second largest wireless provider in the United States. CWA represents more than 10,000 wireless workers at Cingular.
CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen called the contract a good model for wireless workers throughout the industry. “The negotiations between several CWA regions, involving CWA Vice Presidents Larry Mancino, Pete Catucci and Jeff Rechenbach and Cingular management were very positive,” said Cohen, who chaired the negotiations with CWA district bargainers.
The four-year contract establishes a pay progression system with wage increases every six months over a seven-year period. Retail sales representatives, whose earnings are based predominantly on commission, won new base wages and yearly increases. The agreement also provides for card check recognition.
The pay progression plan means that most workers will receive pay raises well above the overall wage increase of 15.3 percent over the contract term. Workers covered by the progression scale can expect to see their wages increase, on average, more than 8 percent a year over the four-year contract.
Contract materials have been sent to members for review. The mail ratification vote will be counted in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 20.
Tina Eversden Jones, a retail sales representative in Illinois, said the contract will benefit both employees and the company.
“With the scheduled pay raises, you know what your future is, and you’re better able to set goals for your family and improve your family life,” she said.
But it benefits the company too, she said, because now, a group of employees can see that they are valued and will want to help the company grow.
“Workers will be able to see where they will be over the life of the contract, and for the majority, this will mean a substantial pay increase,” she said. “Money is a big factor, but that’s because these wage increases will help us make our life goals possible. This contract benefits both sides, because now everyone can feel like a team player.”
Kara Erwin, a corporate account representative, is a member of the bargaining committee for the Maryland unit and has worked since December 1998 to win a voice for workers at Cingular.
“It used to be that evaluations and raises were based on whether management liked you very much,” she said. “Now we have someone — CWA — to back us up.”
But raises aren’t the only issue. “Our contract lets management know that it can’t just do whatever it wants,” she said. “There are guidelines now, more of a level playing field. This contract brings us fairness, a fair salary, a grievance procedure, and most of all respect.
“The union has made a real difference in the way management acts,” she continued. “This contract gives us rights and the ability to have a better quality of life. It will give us a voice at our workplace.”
The agreement establishes a joint labor-management committee to review and make recommendations about concerns important to retail sales workers and calls for ongoing discussion with management as conditions in the fast-paced industry continue to change.
It also improves working conditions, including flexible work scheduling and advance notice of work hours and scheduling changes, and a commitment by Cingular management to work with CWA on ways to enable employees to balance their work and family responsibilities.
It establishes a new grievance, mediation and arbitration procedure; maintains existing retirement, health care, education and other benefits; and safeguards seniority protections.
In addition to Cohen, the bargaining committee included Teri Pluta, CWA representative, District 4; Barbara Shiller, assistant to the vice president, District 2; and Dennis Trainor, CWA representative, District 1.
Cohen said the groundwork for this agreement was laid nearly a decade ago, when District 6 began a district-wide campaign to organize workers at Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, the predecessor company to SBC Wireless.
That five-year campaign of mobilization, strategic organizing, training, member education and bargaining, begun in 1992, was a tough road, but one that finally resulted in a card-check agreement for SBC wireless in 1997, he said. That same year, District 9 won a similar card-check agreement with Pacific Telesis. Now, more than 8,000 wireless workers in those districts have CWA representation and quality contracts.
The agreement is a big victory for wireless workers who have been organizing and mobilizing for a contract for more than a year. It provides wage increases and much more for technicians, customer service representatives and retail sales workers.
Cingular, created by the merger of SBC and BellSouth wireless companies, is the second largest wireless provider in the United States. CWA represents more than 10,000 wireless workers at Cingular.
CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen called the contract a good model for wireless workers throughout the industry. “The negotiations between several CWA regions, involving CWA Vice Presidents Larry Mancino, Pete Catucci and Jeff Rechenbach and Cingular management were very positive,” said Cohen, who chaired the negotiations with CWA district bargainers.
The four-year contract establishes a pay progression system with wage increases every six months over a seven-year period. Retail sales representatives, whose earnings are based predominantly on commission, won new base wages and yearly increases. The agreement also provides for card check recognition.
The pay progression plan means that most workers will receive pay raises well above the overall wage increase of 15.3 percent over the contract term. Workers covered by the progression scale can expect to see their wages increase, on average, more than 8 percent a year over the four-year contract.
Contract materials have been sent to members for review. The mail ratification vote will be counted in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 20.
Tina Eversden Jones, a retail sales representative in Illinois, said the contract will benefit both employees and the company.
“With the scheduled pay raises, you know what your future is, and you’re better able to set goals for your family and improve your family life,” she said.
But it benefits the company too, she said, because now, a group of employees can see that they are valued and will want to help the company grow.
“Workers will be able to see where they will be over the life of the contract, and for the majority, this will mean a substantial pay increase,” she said. “Money is a big factor, but that’s because these wage increases will help us make our life goals possible. This contract benefits both sides, because now everyone can feel like a team player.”
Kara Erwin, a corporate account representative, is a member of the bargaining committee for the Maryland unit and has worked since December 1998 to win a voice for workers at Cingular.
“It used to be that evaluations and raises were based on whether management liked you very much,” she said. “Now we have someone — CWA — to back us up.”
But raises aren’t the only issue. “Our contract lets management know that it can’t just do whatever it wants,” she said. “There are guidelines now, more of a level playing field. This contract brings us fairness, a fair salary, a grievance procedure, and most of all respect.
“The union has made a real difference in the way management acts,” she continued. “This contract gives us rights and the ability to have a better quality of life. It will give us a voice at our workplace.”
The agreement establishes a joint labor-management committee to review and make recommendations about concerns important to retail sales workers and calls for ongoing discussion with management as conditions in the fast-paced industry continue to change.
It also improves working conditions, including flexible work scheduling and advance notice of work hours and scheduling changes, and a commitment by Cingular management to work with CWA on ways to enable employees to balance their work and family responsibilities.
It establishes a new grievance, mediation and arbitration procedure; maintains existing retirement, health care, education and other benefits; and safeguards seniority protections.
In addition to Cohen, the bargaining committee included Teri Pluta, CWA representative, District 4; Barbara Shiller, assistant to the vice president, District 2; and Dennis Trainor, CWA representative, District 1.
Cohen said the groundwork for this agreement was laid nearly a decade ago, when District 6 began a district-wide campaign to organize workers at Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, the predecessor company to SBC Wireless.
That five-year campaign of mobilization, strategic organizing, training, member education and bargaining, begun in 1992, was a tough road, but one that finally resulted in a card-check agreement for SBC wireless in 1997, he said. That same year, District 9 won a similar card-check agreement with Pacific Telesis. Now, more than 8,000 wireless workers in those districts have CWA representation and quality contracts.