Local 1170 - Ongoing Bargaining Talks

The bargaining talks for Rochester, New York Legacy employees kicked off on January 31, 2011. For Local President John Pusloskie, patience has been a needed virtue as the talks have been proceeding slowly due to the tough issues involved and the lack of availability on Frontier’s behalf. Frontier’s two negotiators have been unable to schedule many bargaining sessions due to their time being split between talks with CWA Local 1170 in New York and an IBEW local in North Carolina. March 17 marked the first round of talks with Frontier that had taken place in weeks.

When John Pusloskie and his team sat down with Frontier on March 17 they faced trying to resolve some tough issues. Pusloskie cited the main issues being Frontier’s push to shift rising health care costs onto members, efforts to remove the job security clause and contracting work issues.

“Remember we are all in this together for the long haul, and every Frontier worker out there needs to see themselves as an integral part of one large, powerful, unified group,” said Pusloskie. “Our solidarity gives us a strong position in these negotiations that we need.”

“The most important thing I can encourage all of our brothers and sisters out there to do is to stick together as the collective bargaining with the new Frontier continues,” said Pusloskie in closing.

Local 1170 has another bargaining session scheduled with Frontier on March 29. The local’s contract with Frontier is set to expire at midnight on April 3.

Negotiations in Rochester will continue while Frontier bargaining talks for more CWA locals across the country will begin. The contract for workers in Bluefield, WV will expire on April 14, followed by contracts for Whittier, NC expiring on April 23 and Needles, CA expiring on April 30.

Frontier Frontlines, along with CWA websites, will continue to keep you posted on ongoing negotiations.

Source: Frontier Frontline Newsletter, April 2011