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CWA Wins New Contract at Alltel Nebraska
Down-to-the-wire bargaining has led to a new contract for 500 CWA members at Alltel Corp. in Lincoln, Neb.
The agreement provides a 12.5 percent compounded wage increase over three years, maintains the union workers’ current pension plan, upgrades several job titles, and includes a ban on subcontracting that would result in layoffs for full- or part-time Alltel workers.
The union also derailed a company proposal that would have forced employees to work any five non-consecutive workdays out of seven, thereby eliminating premium pay.
CWA Local 7470 President Denny Martin said the union achieved its goals, despite the anti-union stance Alltel took in its initial round of bargaining.
Three years ago, Alltel bought Aliant Telecommunications, the local telephone company that built a 50-year working partnership with CWA. Yet Alltel came into bargaining demanding major concessions.
The local agreed to some changes in retiree medical benefits to offset Alltel’s demand to eliminate the company’s contribution toward health care premiums after workers had been retired four years.
Local 7470 members mounted an active campaign, building community support for Alltel to pay more attention to customer service. Alltel continues to be the focus of a Public Service Commission investigation and hearings over service quality and other issues. A radio advertising campaign expanded on this message, urging customers to tell Alltel “to give customers and employees the respect they deserve.”
CWA District 7 Vice President John Thompson said the agreement “shows the strength and effectiveness of our members’ mobilization. The support Local 7470 won throughout southeastern Nebraska helped tremendously in a fight against a tough company set on givebacks.”
He also praised the “outstanding work” by the local’s bargaining committee, chaired by LeRoy Christensen, administrative assistant to Thompson, and Kay Pence, CWA representative.
T.O. Moses, CWA vice president for Telecommunications, credited the local and its bargaining committee for their hard work that resulted in Alltel backing off “demands that the Nebraska unit accept the company’s entire package of company proposals.”
Over the past 12 months, several Alltel settlements have been reached, including units in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.
The agreement provides a 12.5 percent compounded wage increase over three years, maintains the union workers’ current pension plan, upgrades several job titles, and includes a ban on subcontracting that would result in layoffs for full- or part-time Alltel workers.
The union also derailed a company proposal that would have forced employees to work any five non-consecutive workdays out of seven, thereby eliminating premium pay.
CWA Local 7470 President Denny Martin said the union achieved its goals, despite the anti-union stance Alltel took in its initial round of bargaining.
Three years ago, Alltel bought Aliant Telecommunications, the local telephone company that built a 50-year working partnership with CWA. Yet Alltel came into bargaining demanding major concessions.
The local agreed to some changes in retiree medical benefits to offset Alltel’s demand to eliminate the company’s contribution toward health care premiums after workers had been retired four years.
Local 7470 members mounted an active campaign, building community support for Alltel to pay more attention to customer service. Alltel continues to be the focus of a Public Service Commission investigation and hearings over service quality and other issues. A radio advertising campaign expanded on this message, urging customers to tell Alltel “to give customers and employees the respect they deserve.”
CWA District 7 Vice President John Thompson said the agreement “shows the strength and effectiveness of our members’ mobilization. The support Local 7470 won throughout southeastern Nebraska helped tremendously in a fight against a tough company set on givebacks.”
He also praised the “outstanding work” by the local’s bargaining committee, chaired by LeRoy Christensen, administrative assistant to Thompson, and Kay Pence, CWA representative.
T.O. Moses, CWA vice president for Telecommunications, credited the local and its bargaining committee for their hard work that resulted in Alltel backing off “demands that the Nebraska unit accept the company’s entire package of company proposals.”
Over the past 12 months, several Alltel settlements have been reached, including units in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.