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CWA Files Charges That U S WEST Illegally Misled Strikers With Phony Health Threat and Spread Confus
(DENVER) - The Communications Workers of America today filed more charges against US West for violating federal labor law -- this time charging that the company purposely misinformed strikers about their right to continuing health care coverage in an "outrageous scare mailing," said CWA District 7 Vice President Sue Pisha.
In fact, strikers are guaranteed by law continuing health care protection and CWA has assured all strikers that they won't pay out of pocket for needed health care. U S West's information packet was designed to mislead workers about their rights and to scare them into abandoning the strike, the union charged.
CWA also filed separate charges with the National Labor Relations Board against US West for sending the same mailing to US West employees in subsidiaries that aren't even on strike, threatening to terminate their health coverage. The company letters went to employees of US West Agent Services and US West DEX, the yellow pages company. Both of these units are under separate contracts from US West Communications, and their employees are on the job.
"The company clearly is trying to create mischief and confusion by worrying employees who aren't even involved in the strike that their health care might be jeopardized in some way because of the dispute. This is a completely reprehensible and illegal action that shows US West will stoop to any low tactic in its campaign of deceit and dirty gamesmanship," said Pisha.
Previously, CWA filed other unfair labor practice complaints with the NLRB over US West's failure to provide information requested by CWA negotiators concerning key bargaining issues.
"When the contract expired, our negotiators still didn't have the necessary information from the company on the issue US West says is it's top concern, the job quota pay plan for technicians, as well as requested information on our own major issues, forced overtime and subcontracting of work," said Pisha. "This made a settlement impossible and a strike inevitable, as the company well knew at the time."
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In fact, strikers are guaranteed by law continuing health care protection and CWA has assured all strikers that they won't pay out of pocket for needed health care. U S West's information packet was designed to mislead workers about their rights and to scare them into abandoning the strike, the union charged.
CWA also filed separate charges with the National Labor Relations Board against US West for sending the same mailing to US West employees in subsidiaries that aren't even on strike, threatening to terminate their health coverage. The company letters went to employees of US West Agent Services and US West DEX, the yellow pages company. Both of these units are under separate contracts from US West Communications, and their employees are on the job.
"The company clearly is trying to create mischief and confusion by worrying employees who aren't even involved in the strike that their health care might be jeopardized in some way because of the dispute. This is a completely reprehensible and illegal action that shows US West will stoop to any low tactic in its campaign of deceit and dirty gamesmanship," said Pisha.
Previously, CWA filed other unfair labor practice complaints with the NLRB over US West's failure to provide information requested by CWA negotiators concerning key bargaining issues.
"When the contract expired, our negotiators still didn't have the necessary information from the company on the issue US West says is it's top concern, the job quota pay plan for technicians, as well as requested information on our own major issues, forced overtime and subcontracting of work," said Pisha. "This made a settlement impossible and a strike inevitable, as the company well knew at the time."
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