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Tough Talks with Lucent Set to Begin this Month
CWA bargainers are ready for tough negotiations with Lucent Technologies for a new agreement covering about 3,400 workers. The current contract expires Oct. 31; bargaining gets underway Oct. 7.
Critical issues in negotiations include jobs, job security and health care, said Ralph Maly, CWA vice president for communications and technologies.
"Lucent continues to downsize and outsource union jobs, but at the same time, it is growing management jobs," Maly said. "The company wants to put the burden of retiree health care costs on retirees who are least able to pay, yet it continues to provide big bonuses and compensation for senior management."
Lucent workers got a big boost of support from CWA convention delegates, who pledged their solidarity in the coming contract fight.
George Mayl, president of Local 3490, called on delegates to stand in solidarity with Lucent workers and take on the company that wants to abandon its workforce and retirees, and that has destroyed workers' retirement savings. Delegates responded with a sea of clenched fists and vocal support for the Lucent workers' fight.
Art Wiskoff, president of Local 4390, told delegates that Lucent members were locked in a "life and death" struggle for their jobs, affecting workers, retirees and their families. The 3,400 active workers, 72,000 retirees and 45,000 retiree dependents are counting on the CWA family for help, he said.
On Sept. 21, hundreds of members of CWA Local 1365 and community supporters rallied outside the Lucent facility in North Andover, Mass., protesting Lucent's ongoing outsourcing and continued job cuts. More than 90 percent of the workers at the Merrimack Valley facility have been laid off by Lucent, devastating working families in the area. In 2001, Local 1365 represented 3,000 workers at the Merrimack facility; today only about 300 members remain.
Local 1365 President Gary Nilsson, who recently ended a 46-day hunger strike that protested Lucent's continuing layoffs, said the company was making outrageous demands, especially of retirees.
Mobilization activities are underway, with the first demonstration held afer the CWA convention in Anaheim, and several actions are planned for the week leading to the start of bargaining.
Lucent members also are writing to Lucent chief executive officer Patricia Russo, raising concerns about the company's continued outsourcing and its plans to shift health care costs.
Members of CWA's Retired Members Council have joined the campaign, writing to Russo to protest the company's push to shift more health care costs to retirees, a move that they said "does nothing to stem the tide of rising health care costs."
Lucent must "join forces with other major corporations" and work to overhaul the nation's health care system, the retirees said.
CWA and Lucent negotiators met in July to try to reach an early agreement, but talks broke off over Lucent's demands for subcontracting and excessive health care cost-shifting for active and retired workers.
Critical issues in negotiations include jobs, job security and health care, said Ralph Maly, CWA vice president for communications and technologies.
"Lucent continues to downsize and outsource union jobs, but at the same time, it is growing management jobs," Maly said. "The company wants to put the burden of retiree health care costs on retirees who are least able to pay, yet it continues to provide big bonuses and compensation for senior management."
Lucent workers got a big boost of support from CWA convention delegates, who pledged their solidarity in the coming contract fight.
George Mayl, president of Local 3490, called on delegates to stand in solidarity with Lucent workers and take on the company that wants to abandon its workforce and retirees, and that has destroyed workers' retirement savings. Delegates responded with a sea of clenched fists and vocal support for the Lucent workers' fight.
Art Wiskoff, president of Local 4390, told delegates that Lucent members were locked in a "life and death" struggle for their jobs, affecting workers, retirees and their families. The 3,400 active workers, 72,000 retirees and 45,000 retiree dependents are counting on the CWA family for help, he said.
On Sept. 21, hundreds of members of CWA Local 1365 and community supporters rallied outside the Lucent facility in North Andover, Mass., protesting Lucent's ongoing outsourcing and continued job cuts. More than 90 percent of the workers at the Merrimack Valley facility have been laid off by Lucent, devastating working families in the area. In 2001, Local 1365 represented 3,000 workers at the Merrimack facility; today only about 300 members remain.
Local 1365 President Gary Nilsson, who recently ended a 46-day hunger strike that protested Lucent's continuing layoffs, said the company was making outrageous demands, especially of retirees.
Mobilization activities are underway, with the first demonstration held afer the CWA convention in Anaheim, and several actions are planned for the week leading to the start of bargaining.
Lucent members also are writing to Lucent chief executive officer Patricia Russo, raising concerns about the company's continued outsourcing and its plans to shift health care costs.
Members of CWA's Retired Members Council have joined the campaign, writing to Russo to protest the company's push to shift more health care costs to retirees, a move that they said "does nothing to stem the tide of rising health care costs."
Lucent must "join forces with other major corporations" and work to overhaul the nation's health care system, the retirees said.
CWA and Lucent negotiators met in July to try to reach an early agreement, but talks broke off over Lucent's demands for subcontracting and excessive health care cost-shifting for active and retired workers.