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CWA Stands Firm in Avaya, OFS Negotiations
For CWA members involved in tough bargaining with Avaya and OFS, negotiations are going down to the wire. The contracts expire May 31 and several critical issues remained unresolved in bargaining at both companies as the deadline approached.
At Avaya, CWA members voted to authorize a strike by a 96 percent vote, in response to the company's demands for givebacks and other retrogressive proposals. The current contract covers about 5,000 workers.
Avaya's concession demands include shifting millions in health care costs to employees through increasing co-pays, deductibles, prescription drug costs, and out of pocket maximums, reported CWA Vice President Ralph Maly, Communications and Technologies.
The Avaya bargaining team is led by Maly and includes Art Frindt, Local 4340; John Jackson, Local 7777; Richie Meringolo, Local 1101; Phil Pennington, Local 4320, and Gerald Souder, CWA staff.
Avaya, formerly the Enterprise Network Group at Lucent, provides communications systems - including voice/data, networking, and messaging and cabling services - for business, government agencies and other groups. Avaya began operating and trading as a separate company in October 2000.
Meanwhile, CWA members at OFS - members of Locals 3263 in Norcross, Ga., and 1365 in Sturbridge, Mass. - have been mobilizing and building support for a fair contract in the first round of talks following the 2001 sale of the fiber optic division by Lucent Technologies.
CWA members approved strike authorization by a 73.3 percent vote.
CWA and OFS agreed to early bargaining, which got underway in December 2002, with the bargaining team working to consolidate the former Lucent contracts into an agreement that will serve members and retirees and that represents the OFS business, said Bob Richhart, administrative assistant to Maly. However, the downturn in the economy and the fact that major OFS customers continue to curtail capital spending has resulted in tough bargaining, he said.
CWA Local 1365 President Gary Nilsson pointed out that OFS was even taking a hard line with the mobilization activities the local was pursuing. OFS suspended several workers without pay over the "Whistle at Work" campaign, which had workers periodically blowing whistles at work to show support for contract negotiations.
OFS also filed a lawsuit against CWA and the local, and obtained an injunction against the local to end the whistle blowing action. CWA has filed unfair labor practice charges against the company with the National Labor Relations Board.
The bargaining team includes Eddie Christian, Local 3263; Nilsson and Brian Letendre, Local 1365; and Richhart, who serves as lead negotiator.
At Avaya, CWA members voted to authorize a strike by a 96 percent vote, in response to the company's demands for givebacks and other retrogressive proposals. The current contract covers about 5,000 workers.
Avaya's concession demands include shifting millions in health care costs to employees through increasing co-pays, deductibles, prescription drug costs, and out of pocket maximums, reported CWA Vice President Ralph Maly, Communications and Technologies.
The Avaya bargaining team is led by Maly and includes Art Frindt, Local 4340; John Jackson, Local 7777; Richie Meringolo, Local 1101; Phil Pennington, Local 4320, and Gerald Souder, CWA staff.
Avaya, formerly the Enterprise Network Group at Lucent, provides communications systems - including voice/data, networking, and messaging and cabling services - for business, government agencies and other groups. Avaya began operating and trading as a separate company in October 2000.
Meanwhile, CWA members at OFS - members of Locals 3263 in Norcross, Ga., and 1365 in Sturbridge, Mass. - have been mobilizing and building support for a fair contract in the first round of talks following the 2001 sale of the fiber optic division by Lucent Technologies.
CWA members approved strike authorization by a 73.3 percent vote.
CWA and OFS agreed to early bargaining, which got underway in December 2002, with the bargaining team working to consolidate the former Lucent contracts into an agreement that will serve members and retirees and that represents the OFS business, said Bob Richhart, administrative assistant to Maly. However, the downturn in the economy and the fact that major OFS customers continue to curtail capital spending has resulted in tough bargaining, he said.
CWA Local 1365 President Gary Nilsson pointed out that OFS was even taking a hard line with the mobilization activities the local was pursuing. OFS suspended several workers without pay over the "Whistle at Work" campaign, which had workers periodically blowing whistles at work to show support for contract negotiations.
OFS also filed a lawsuit against CWA and the local, and obtained an injunction against the local to end the whistle blowing action. CWA has filed unfair labor practice charges against the company with the National Labor Relations Board.
The bargaining team includes Eddie Christian, Local 3263; Nilsson and Brian Letendre, Local 1365; and Richhart, who serves as lead negotiator.