Telecom News: CWA Fights for Jobs, Benefits In Bargaining at Frontier

Bargaining for more than 300 CWA members at Frontier Communica-tions in Pennsylvania continued past the Nov. 30 contract expiration date as union negotiators worked to preserve jobs and members hard-won benefits. At presstime, members of Locals 13570, 13571, 13572 and 13573 are mobilizing against a range of giveback demands.

Among these, Frontier wants to transfer some call center work out of state and increase subcontracting of work. Management also is targeting workers' benefits, seeking to shift more of the cost of health care to members and moving from a traditional pension plan to a 401(k) plan.

The workers were employed by Commonwealth Telephone Company before Frontier purchased the company's operations in Pennsylvania in 2007. As a result of CWA intervening in the acquisition, the company agreed to provide job security for 95 percent of the union workers, but only through the end of the current contract. CWA represents another 1,200 workers at Citizens Frontier units nationwide.