CWA Contract Returns 400 Outsourced US Airways Call Center Jobs

US Airways is returning more than 400 outsourced call center jobs to the United States as part of an agreement CWA and the Teamsters negotiated with the airline after the company's second bankruptcy in as many years.

Local 3640 President Vonda Hardy discussed the return of jobs in a TV interview in Winston-Salem.

About half of the jobs will be at the airline's reservations center in Winston-Salem, and the other half at centers in Phoenix and Reno. "We are excited about the jobs coming back from Manila," said Vonda Hardy, president of CWA Local 3640. "It is a great, great day."

The jobs, once held by stateside US Airways agents who took early buyouts when the company was in bankruptcy, were offshored to Manila and other foreign cities. However, as stipulated in the union contracts, US Airways agreed to bring the jobs back to the United States by Nov. 1, 2011.

"We made a diligent effort to be able to save and retain as much protection for workers in the contract as we could, faced with the economic times," Hardy said. Click here to view an TV news interview with Hardy about the returned jobs.

CWA Chief of Staff Ron Collins, who oversees customer service issues, said, "This move shows that quality, professional customer service wins over low-road, low-wage, high-turnover operations every time. CWA is committed to building the customer service profession and we're pleased that US Airways is a partner in this effort."

Overall, CWA and the Teamsters represent more than 6,000 reservations and customer service employees at US Airways.

At an event in Winston-Salem with US Airways CEO Doug Parker to celebrate the returned jobs, Hardy said that bringing the jobs back will improve the quality of customer service in the United States. "There is a certain comfort to our customers when they call US Airways now; they know their call will be answered in one of our three U.S.-based centers," she said.