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Sprint Fight for Jobs, Health Care
CWA has called on Sprint Corp. to put its public praise for local telephone company employees into action at the bargaining table, where workers in several units continue to fight for fair contracts.
Sprint CEO William Esrey has commended workers’ productivity and reliability for helping to raise revenues and profits in the local telephone division in the third quarter of 2002.
But the company’s position in bargaining with CWA units in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Indiana — demands for cuts in health care and “temporary layoffs” for workers who wouldn’t even receive severance pay — convey a very different attitude toward its employees, CWA Telecommunications Vice President Jimmy Gurganus said.
In negotiations, Sprint also is seeking to shift more health care costs to workers and wants to eliminate their choices in medical care by forcing them into a company-controlled plan, he said. The company also wants to eliminate seniority for some workers and increase “company flexibility,” which means less job security for workers.
CWA members have been mobilizing to win fair contracts, supported by a media campaign and newspaper ads that show how members and quality customer service are being hurt by Sprint’s demands.
Members are continuing on the job despite expired contracts in North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Negotiations are continuing for a new contract covering nearly 1,400 workers at another unit in North Carolina — the current contract expires Nov. 29 — and for workers at Sprint operations in the Northwest. CWA represents about 4,000 workers altogether at Sprint.
In his letter to employees, Esrey wrote that “our local telephone division continues its remarkable performance” and he further praised significant improvements in customer service over the course of the year.
Sprint CEO William Esrey has commended workers’ productivity and reliability for helping to raise revenues and profits in the local telephone division in the third quarter of 2002.
But the company’s position in bargaining with CWA units in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Indiana — demands for cuts in health care and “temporary layoffs” for workers who wouldn’t even receive severance pay — convey a very different attitude toward its employees, CWA Telecommunications Vice President Jimmy Gurganus said.
In negotiations, Sprint also is seeking to shift more health care costs to workers and wants to eliminate their choices in medical care by forcing them into a company-controlled plan, he said. The company also wants to eliminate seniority for some workers and increase “company flexibility,” which means less job security for workers.
CWA members have been mobilizing to win fair contracts, supported by a media campaign and newspaper ads that show how members and quality customer service are being hurt by Sprint’s demands.
Members are continuing on the job despite expired contracts in North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Negotiations are continuing for a new contract covering nearly 1,400 workers at another unit in North Carolina — the current contract expires Nov. 29 — and for workers at Sprint operations in the Northwest. CWA represents about 4,000 workers altogether at Sprint.
In his letter to employees, Esrey wrote that “our local telephone division continues its remarkable performance” and he further praised significant improvements in customer service over the course of the year.