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ULPs Mount Against Sprint-Virginia
CWA is turning up the legal heat on Sprint-Virginia for falsely declaring an impasse in negotiations and imposing a contract offer while continuing to bargain, reported District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci.
"This is the most unfair labor practice possible in a bargaining context," said Mark Wilson, CWA District 2 attorney, who filed an amended ULP charge against the company July 31 for "unlawful declaration of impasse and numerous changes in working conditions."
The 80 workers in the bargaining unit, represented by Local 2277, are working under an implemented agreement, though their contract expired May 31. Their bargaining committee met with company officials as recently as July 31 to discuss wages and working conditions.
"They say there is an impasse, we say there is not," Local President Russell Wells said. "We give them a proposal, and they just lay it down."
The contract the company imposed June 22 includes a clause converting workers' five floating holidays to "paid time off" days that they are required to use as sick days.
CWA first filed unfair labor practice charges against the company in June over bad-faith bargaining and management's refusal to provide information about contract labor. The National Labor Relations Board is still investigating. "It's impossible to go to impasse until those ULPs are resolved," Wilson said.
The company also has defied an arbitrator's 2002 order, directing management to answer the union's questions about use of contractors.
"The arbitrator has reopened the case and will conduct a hearing. That will put additional pressure on them," Wilson said.
Wells said many workers are putting 12-hour days, "most of it going behind contractors and cleaning up their mess."
CWA Representative Jack Dotson, who heads bargaining for the workers, said, "It seemed like their strategy early on in bargaining was not to negotiate but to make a take-it-or-leave-it proposal, then implement."
"This is the most unfair labor practice possible in a bargaining context," said Mark Wilson, CWA District 2 attorney, who filed an amended ULP charge against the company July 31 for "unlawful declaration of impasse and numerous changes in working conditions."
The 80 workers in the bargaining unit, represented by Local 2277, are working under an implemented agreement, though their contract expired May 31. Their bargaining committee met with company officials as recently as July 31 to discuss wages and working conditions.
"They say there is an impasse, we say there is not," Local President Russell Wells said. "We give them a proposal, and they just lay it down."
The contract the company imposed June 22 includes a clause converting workers' five floating holidays to "paid time off" days that they are required to use as sick days.
CWA first filed unfair labor practice charges against the company in June over bad-faith bargaining and management's refusal to provide information about contract labor. The National Labor Relations Board is still investigating. "It's impossible to go to impasse until those ULPs are resolved," Wilson said.
The company also has defied an arbitrator's 2002 order, directing management to answer the union's questions about use of contractors.
"The arbitrator has reopened the case and will conduct a hearing. That will put additional pressure on them," Wilson said.
Wells said many workers are putting 12-hour days, "most of it going behind contractors and cleaning up their mess."
CWA Representative Jack Dotson, who heads bargaining for the workers, said, "It seemed like their strategy early on in bargaining was not to negotiate but to make a take-it-or-leave-it proposal, then implement."