CWA: Alcatel Lucent Repays Workers with Job Cuts

CWA Vice President Ralph Maly, communications and technologies, blasted Alcatel Lucent's proposed plan to close the North Andover, Mass., facility (also known as Merrimack Valley) unless union-represented workers find and agree to accept $6.6 million in cost cutting adjustments.

"This demand is typical of the new Alcatel Lucent," Maly said. "The company says if 250 union-represented workers bear the brunt of $6.6 million in cuts, it might reconsider keeping the operation open. But Alcatel Lucent seems intent on shutting down its U.S. union-represented facilities and shifting more work overseas."

Alcatel Lucent said it plans to shift work from North Andover, which employs a total of 500 employees, to Italy. Maly said that it was CWA and local unions at North Andover that made the product lines produced there a success. "Now, Alcatel Lucent is repaying union workers by threatening to take away their jobs and their livelihoods," he said.

Maly said he will continue to work to keep the facility open.

Members of CWA Local 1365 in North Andover produce network communications equipment to enable companies to transmit data over fiber optic networks. CWA and the local also were instrumental in building new demand for a long distance data transmission system, Lambda Xtreme, a product Lucent was unable to successfully market.

"This past quarter, we gave Lucent the best financials that it has received over the past four years, with costs coming in below all budget expectations," said Local 1365 President Gary Nilsson, adding, that Lucent's treatment of union workers at North Andover is a disgrace. 

Workers are mobilizing and building support throughout the North Andover community, with a public meeting scheduled for June 24.