Contract Extended at VIS, Bargaining Continues

CWA and Verizon Information Services bargainers have agreed to extend the current contract to midnight, Oct. 19, as members of Locals 1105, 1118 and 1122 step up their mobilization actions in the fight for a fair contract.

The current agreement was set to expire at midnight Oct. 8, but the parties agreed to the extension to enable VIS to provide the union team with more information and data regarding its sales compensation proposal and other bargaining issues.

CWA Representative Pat Telesco said the company is continuing to press its excessive and extreme demands, but CWA bargainers are standing strong, backed by the 300 VIS workers who have earned a fair contract.

VIS wants to exercise total control over commission rates and wants to retain the right to change the plan at any time. CWA's position is that the sales compensation plan must be binding on both parties for the life of the agreement and can not be added to, deleted from, or modified in any way without the mutual agreement of the parties, she said.

CWA has rejected VIS's demand to shift additional health care costs to workers beginning in 2007 and cut benefits, calling the proposal "outrageous." This demand would cause workers' medical premiums costs to more than double from current costs, with further increases in likely 2008, CWA said. VIS wants to take away the fleet cars that sales representatives drive on the job and reimburse workers at a significantly reduced rate.

CWA has proposed improvements in scheduling, overtime and other premium payments; changes in the scheduling of personal days, and improvements in grievance and arbitration language, among other issues.

The VIS workers are sales and non-sales employees who provide print and online directory services and other information.