New Sprint Pacts in Kansas, Missouri; Florida Unit Rejects

CWA’s Sprint contracts in Kansas and Missouri were settled together on Feb. 12 — the seventh set of negotiations to produce agreements with the company in this round of bargaining. Telecommunications Vice President T.O. Moses also reported, as the CWA News went to press, that the Sprint-Ohio unit of 600 workers had extended bargaining past the Feb. 28 expiration of its contract in an effort to reach settlement.

Moses said that Sprint units in Oregon, Indiana, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and two in North Carolina have ratified three-year agreements that bring 3 percent annual wage gains, pension and savings plan improvements and enhanced pay incentives for service representatives.

Meanwhile, in Feb. 29 balloting, CWA’s Sprint-Florida unit for the second time rejected a settlement and authorized the CWA Executive Board to call for a strike, with the date to be set by CWA’s president. CWA Local 3176 President Bob Campbell said that the key issues include overtime limitations and successorship.

Only two Sprint units remain to bargain this year: Contracts in New Jersey expire May 14, and Virginia, May 15.