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Southwest Locals Ratify New 3-Year Agreement at Valor Communications
Members of CWA Locals 6171 and 7019 ratified a three-year agreement with Valor Communications May 2, bringing an immediate lump sum payment of 2 percent of current wages, plus periodic increases equal to 7.5 percent compounded over term. The pact also holds the line on health care cost-shifting for retirees and drastically curtails management's demand to pass a greater share of premiums on to active workers.
For the first time, Valor agreed to a voluntary severance plan through which the company will offer retirements to senior employees before resorting to layoffs. Also new is a company-paid tuition assistance plan among other improvements, said Jimmy Gurganus, CWA vice president for Telecommunications.
About half of Valor's 800 field technicians and service representatives work in Texarkana, Texas. The rest are employed at a number of facilities in West Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Their contract expired Feb. 28.
The new agreement brings an immediate 2 percent lump sum increase retroactive to Feb. 27 and five compounded wage increases of 1.5 percent starting in August, said CWA Representative Donna Bentley, who headed the bargaining committee.
The company dropped its demand for health care cost-shifting for retirees and backed away from what it had proposed for active workers. Instead of a 30 percent increase in premiums for the $350-deductible plan, CWA negotiated just a 5 percent increase, which will not take effect until next January. Other health plans offered by the company remain under the terms of the old agreement.
Mobilization activities included strong participation by Local 6171 members at a bargaining rally and candlelight vigil in Texarkana, and by Local 7019 in Carlsbad, N.M.
For the first time, Valor agreed to a voluntary severance plan through which the company will offer retirements to senior employees before resorting to layoffs. Also new is a company-paid tuition assistance plan among other improvements, said Jimmy Gurganus, CWA vice president for Telecommunications.
About half of Valor's 800 field technicians and service representatives work in Texarkana, Texas. The rest are employed at a number of facilities in West Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Their contract expired Feb. 28.
The new agreement brings an immediate 2 percent lump sum increase retroactive to Feb. 27 and five compounded wage increases of 1.5 percent starting in August, said CWA Representative Donna Bentley, who headed the bargaining committee.
The company dropped its demand for health care cost-shifting for retirees and backed away from what it had proposed for active workers. Instead of a 30 percent increase in premiums for the $350-deductible plan, CWA negotiated just a 5 percent increase, which will not take effect until next January. Other health plans offered by the company remain under the terms of the old agreement.
Mobilization activities included strong participation by Local 6171 members at a bargaining rally and candlelight vigil in Texarkana, and by Local 7019 in Carlsbad, N.M.