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CWA's 2000 Telecom Bargaining Centers on Bell Atlantic
This year, contract negotiations in the telecommunications industry will focus mainly on Bell Atlantic (NYSE:BEL), with the contract covering 71,000 workers in 13 states to expire August 5. Bargaining will officially get underway on June 26, but CWA members have already begun a mobilization and action campaign aimed at concentrating public and corporate attention on their key bargaining goals.
CWA members will be out in force on May 24, in rallies and actions across Bell Atlantic territory and at the company's annual meeting in Denver. CWA has developed its own "Report to the Shareholders," which outlines the negative effect that Bell Atlantic's "command-and-control" labor relations policies have on employees, shareholders and the company, particularly as Bell Atlantic proceeds with its planned merger with GTE (NYSE:GTE) to form a new company, "Verizon." The report will be distributed to shareholders at the meeting and to Bell Atlantic workers throughout the company.
Bargaining Goals
Some 200 local union officers representing the 71,000 Bell Atlantic workers met to work out bargaining goals at a mid-March meeting in Atlantic City, N.J. These goals include improvements in wages and pensions; relief for customer service representatives and operators who face abusive levels of job stress and mandatory overtime; greater access for workers to the new jobs of the company's new subsidiaries; and restoration of the respect, partnership and cooperation with CWA and its members that had existed in parts of the company.
CWA President Morton Bahr said the 2000 negotiations are critical - to employees, shareholders and to the continued success of Bell Atlantic.
"In today's highly competitive telecommunications industry, it's a highly skilled, experienced workforce that makes the critical difference and provides the competitive edge companies want and need. Bell Atlantic has that kind of workforce and now has the opportunity to build on that strength. This means that Bell Atlantic must reject the adversarial labor relations approach it has been following in some venues and replace it with real partnership and respect," he said.
Bahr contrasted Bell Atlantic's "command-and-control" labor policies with CWA's positive partnership with GTE, noting that GTE, "acknowledges and recognizes that the outstanding work, training, experience and dedication of CWA members is a real competitive advantage in today's marketplace."
Company Outlook
By every measure, Bell Atlantic is a highly successful company. Its profits in 1999 of $8.4 billion represent a 24.8 percent increase over 1997. Profits per employee rose even more, with each employee generating $37,100 in profits in 1999. This means that at the end of the year, after all operating costs-including wages, pension and healthcare costs, interest expenses and taxes-there remains $37,100 per employee to spend on shareholders, employees and business growth. CWA members are seeking a fair share of the success they've helped make possible. [source: Bell Atlantic company reports, excludes merger-related transition costs.]
Gains in productivity- measured as output per worker- at Bell Atlantic continue to exceed the national average, which also has been strong. Over the past three years, workers' productivity grew 8.4 percent as measured by access lines per telecom employee, the industry's standard measure, and 10.6 percent in terms of revenue per employee. [source: Bell Atlantic company reports, Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Bell Atlantic's planned merger with GTE is likely to be completed this June, creating the largest telecommunications company in the industry, with profits of $8.4 billion. CWA also represents some 24,000 workers at GTE; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers represents about 17,500 workers at GTE and another 13,000 at Bell Atlantic.
Additional Information
A special section of CWA's web page, ga.cwa-union.org, provides updated bargaining information for members on mobilizations, actions and bargaining. Media can contact Jeff Miller, CWA's communications director, and Candice Johnson, associate director, for information and interview requests. We can be reached by phone at 202-434-1168 and e-mail at jmiller@cwa-union.org and cjohnson@cwa-union.org.
Three CWA vice presidents, along with President Bahr, are involved in the Bell Atlantic negotiations: Larry Mancino, District 1, New York; Pete Catucci, District 2, Silver Spring, Md.; and Vince Maisano, District 13, Philadelphia. The Bell Atlantic negotiations cover workers in these 13 states: New York, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
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CWA members will be out in force on May 24, in rallies and actions across Bell Atlantic territory and at the company's annual meeting in Denver. CWA has developed its own "Report to the Shareholders," which outlines the negative effect that Bell Atlantic's "command-and-control" labor relations policies have on employees, shareholders and the company, particularly as Bell Atlantic proceeds with its planned merger with GTE (NYSE:GTE) to form a new company, "Verizon." The report will be distributed to shareholders at the meeting and to Bell Atlantic workers throughout the company.
Bargaining Goals
Some 200 local union officers representing the 71,000 Bell Atlantic workers met to work out bargaining goals at a mid-March meeting in Atlantic City, N.J. These goals include improvements in wages and pensions; relief for customer service representatives and operators who face abusive levels of job stress and mandatory overtime; greater access for workers to the new jobs of the company's new subsidiaries; and restoration of the respect, partnership and cooperation with CWA and its members that had existed in parts of the company.
CWA President Morton Bahr said the 2000 negotiations are critical - to employees, shareholders and to the continued success of Bell Atlantic.
"In today's highly competitive telecommunications industry, it's a highly skilled, experienced workforce that makes the critical difference and provides the competitive edge companies want and need. Bell Atlantic has that kind of workforce and now has the opportunity to build on that strength. This means that Bell Atlantic must reject the adversarial labor relations approach it has been following in some venues and replace it with real partnership and respect," he said.
Bahr contrasted Bell Atlantic's "command-and-control" labor policies with CWA's positive partnership with GTE, noting that GTE, "acknowledges and recognizes that the outstanding work, training, experience and dedication of CWA members is a real competitive advantage in today's marketplace."
Company Outlook
By every measure, Bell Atlantic is a highly successful company. Its profits in 1999 of $8.4 billion represent a 24.8 percent increase over 1997. Profits per employee rose even more, with each employee generating $37,100 in profits in 1999. This means that at the end of the year, after all operating costs-including wages, pension and healthcare costs, interest expenses and taxes-there remains $37,100 per employee to spend on shareholders, employees and business growth. CWA members are seeking a fair share of the success they've helped make possible. [source: Bell Atlantic company reports, excludes merger-related transition costs.]
Gains in productivity- measured as output per worker- at Bell Atlantic continue to exceed the national average, which also has been strong. Over the past three years, workers' productivity grew 8.4 percent as measured by access lines per telecom employee, the industry's standard measure, and 10.6 percent in terms of revenue per employee. [source: Bell Atlantic company reports, Bureau of Labor Statistics]
Bell Atlantic's planned merger with GTE is likely to be completed this June, creating the largest telecommunications company in the industry, with profits of $8.4 billion. CWA also represents some 24,000 workers at GTE; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers represents about 17,500 workers at GTE and another 13,000 at Bell Atlantic.
Additional Information
A special section of CWA's web page, ga.cwa-union.org, provides updated bargaining information for members on mobilizations, actions and bargaining. Media can contact Jeff Miller, CWA's communications director, and Candice Johnson, associate director, for information and interview requests. We can be reached by phone at 202-434-1168 and e-mail at jmiller@cwa-union.org and cjohnson@cwa-union.org.
Three CWA vice presidents, along with President Bahr, are involved in the Bell Atlantic negotiations: Larry Mancino, District 1, New York; Pete Catucci, District 2, Silver Spring, Md.; and Vince Maisano, District 13, Philadelphia. The Bell Atlantic negotiations cover workers in these 13 states: New York, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
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