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CWA Gains New Agreement at GTE Southwest
CWA reached a tentative agreement with GTE Southwest on a three-year contract covering 5,200 workers in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico and on a second contract covering some 200 workers at GTE Supply.
The agreement provides substantial pay and benefit increases, with total pay projected to increase by 15.4 percent, rural, and 14.3 percent, urban, over the contract term. Base wage increases will range from 11.3 percent to 12.4 percent, plus team performance awards totaling 3 percent over the three years. It brings additional pay incentives to customer service, retail sales and public communications representatives.
The pact also provides improvements in vacation, pension and health benefits and will include additional enhancements to be negotiated at the national table.
"The bargaining committees did an excellent job. We believe this is the best contract we've negotiated with GTE in several sessions," said Ben Turn, CWA District 6 vice president. "This round of negotiations was also exciting, because for the first time GTE has agreed to bargain on a national basis on several issues including neutrality in organizing campaigns, education benefits, vacation banking, business attire, increased company match in its hourly savings plan, and a cash balance pension study. Bargaining has already begun at that level and will continue following the CWA convention."
CWA Representative Currie Hallford, who headed bargaining at the Southwest table, received a memo of understanding to that effect from Ron Johnson, labor relations director, GTE West.
Said T.O. Moses, CWA vice president for telecommunications, "I'm proud of the fact that both committees worked so incredibly hard in these negotiations. They were extremely persistent in dealing with our members' issues."
CWA Representative Michael Littleton headed bargaining at the GTE Supply table, with District 6 Southern Area Director Bill Davis coordinating work on the two contracts. Turn and Moses participated in both sets of negotiations, facilitated by John Howard, assistant to the telecommunications vice president.
The pact provides three weeks vacation after five years instead of eight; minimum pensions of $11,700 instead of $10,850; improvements in the employee adjustment income plan and comprehensive medical plan. Point-of-service medical, mostly 100-percent paid, is available for the first time in some areas. A new lower-cost PPO network has been added for workers covered by indemnity plans, plus a long-term disability plan. Differential and premium pay have been raised. ###
The agreement provides substantial pay and benefit increases, with total pay projected to increase by 15.4 percent, rural, and 14.3 percent, urban, over the contract term. Base wage increases will range from 11.3 percent to 12.4 percent, plus team performance awards totaling 3 percent over the three years. It brings additional pay incentives to customer service, retail sales and public communications representatives.
The pact also provides improvements in vacation, pension and health benefits and will include additional enhancements to be negotiated at the national table.
"The bargaining committees did an excellent job. We believe this is the best contract we've negotiated with GTE in several sessions," said Ben Turn, CWA District 6 vice president. "This round of negotiations was also exciting, because for the first time GTE has agreed to bargain on a national basis on several issues including neutrality in organizing campaigns, education benefits, vacation banking, business attire, increased company match in its hourly savings plan, and a cash balance pension study. Bargaining has already begun at that level and will continue following the CWA convention."
CWA Representative Currie Hallford, who headed bargaining at the Southwest table, received a memo of understanding to that effect from Ron Johnson, labor relations director, GTE West.
Said T.O. Moses, CWA vice president for telecommunications, "I'm proud of the fact that both committees worked so incredibly hard in these negotiations. They were extremely persistent in dealing with our members' issues."
CWA Representative Michael Littleton headed bargaining at the GTE Supply table, with District 6 Southern Area Director Bill Davis coordinating work on the two contracts. Turn and Moses participated in both sets of negotiations, facilitated by John Howard, assistant to the telecommunications vice president.
The pact provides three weeks vacation after five years instead of eight; minimum pensions of $11,700 instead of $10,850; improvements in the employee adjustment income plan and comprehensive medical plan. Point-of-service medical, mostly 100-percent paid, is available for the first time in some areas. A new lower-cost PPO network has been added for workers covered by indemnity plans, plus a long-term disability plan. Differential and premium pay have been raised. ###