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Sprint Strike Imminent if No Agreement
With frustration mounting at seven local bargaining tables, Telecommunications Vice President Jimmy Gurganus on Jan. 10 announced that the date has been set for a strike that could involve 2,000 Sprint workers.
CWA President Morton Bahr set the date, which will not be made public for strategic purposes.
"Some issues have been resolved, but there's still enough out there that we could have a strike," Gurganus said following discussions with the company. "Whether or not a strike will occur depends upon Sprint's willingness to bargain seriously over the issues that divide us."
Issues that have arisen at several local tables include contract duration, health benefits, seniority protection in layoffs and base wage increases for customer service representatives.
While management is proposing contracts ranging from one to three years in various units, CWA bargaining committees, separately, are seeking pacts of equal duration across the board. "Anything less would divide us and weaken our strength to bargain in the next round of negotiations," Gurganus said.
Where management is demanding complete control, the CWA units are seeking greater input toward the design of a cafeteria-style health benefits plan.
The company continues to stick to proposals that would allow layoffs without seniority protection and which would allow it to continue to retain less senior, lower-paid workers.
CWA bargainers are also pursuing a base wage increase for customer service representatives, while management insists that all available funds be used for an incentive plan. Customer service reps in the several units have not had a base wage increase for as many as five years, Gurganus said.
The seven units set to strike include two in North Carolina whose contract expired at the end of November; also those in Tennessee, Florida, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Oregon.
Locals in all seven units continue to conduct informational picketing and other mobilization activities, bolstered by a media campaign with radio and print ads alerting customers to the impact Sprint actions will have on customer service.
The union is also bargaining on behalf of units in Kansas and Missouri, where contracts expire Jan. 31, and is preparing to bargain for a unit in Ohio whose contract is up on Feb. 28.
CWA President Morton Bahr set the date, which will not be made public for strategic purposes.
"Some issues have been resolved, but there's still enough out there that we could have a strike," Gurganus said following discussions with the company. "Whether or not a strike will occur depends upon Sprint's willingness to bargain seriously over the issues that divide us."
Issues that have arisen at several local tables include contract duration, health benefits, seniority protection in layoffs and base wage increases for customer service representatives.
While management is proposing contracts ranging from one to three years in various units, CWA bargaining committees, separately, are seeking pacts of equal duration across the board. "Anything less would divide us and weaken our strength to bargain in the next round of negotiations," Gurganus said.
Where management is demanding complete control, the CWA units are seeking greater input toward the design of a cafeteria-style health benefits plan.
The company continues to stick to proposals that would allow layoffs without seniority protection and which would allow it to continue to retain less senior, lower-paid workers.
CWA bargainers are also pursuing a base wage increase for customer service representatives, while management insists that all available funds be used for an incentive plan. Customer service reps in the several units have not had a base wage increase for as many as five years, Gurganus said.
The seven units set to strike include two in North Carolina whose contract expired at the end of November; also those in Tennessee, Florida, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Oregon.
Locals in all seven units continue to conduct informational picketing and other mobilization activities, bolstered by a media campaign with radio and print ads alerting customers to the impact Sprint actions will have on customer service.
The union is also bargaining on behalf of units in Kansas and Missouri, where contracts expire Jan. 31, and is preparing to bargain for a unit in Ohio whose contract is up on Feb. 28.