NOKIA BARGAINING REPORT #42

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Bargaining Team met with the Company today. In yet another twist to the ongoing saga of bargaining, the Company Chair has now accused the CWA of bad faith bargaining in what they are saying is an apparent effort to thwart the bargaining process! The Company is making this claim because the CWA Bargaining Team requested data relative to the Company’s financials. The Company is now saying that the elimination of the bargaining unit has nothing to do with “affordability or ability to pay” but instead Nokia considers the flexibility and agility that using 3P providers as the primary factors.

In addition, the Company has withdrawn its proposal on Post-Retirement Healthcare and Dental and Group Life Insurance, which means that the current agreement to provide these Retiree benefits expires at the end of 2019. Put another way:  if we were to accept the Company proposal to eliminate the bargaining unit, utilizing pension assets, those of you who will become new Retirees and our current Retirees have the potential of NO RETIREE HEALTHCARE in the future.

The long-awaited meeting scheduled for tomorrow, with Andy Golby, Director of NAM, to discuss our vision of how the core Installers fit into the Field Forces of the Future, has been moved to the week of December 3rd. The Company has suggested bargaining resume that week.

We simply MUST mobilize. You have to let Nokia’s Executives, Nokia’s customers and your Legislators know that eliminating good Union jobs and putting Retiree benefits at risk is BAD BUSINESS. Use this link to send an online letter to Nokia’s Ricky Corker, EVP of Americas and Nokia’s Andy Golby, Head of Network Implementation of Americas, telling them to save American jobs and bargain in good faith!

An Injury To One, Is An Injury To All!  United We Stand!

Your Bargaining Team,

Mary Jo Reilly

Steve Amato

Luis Benitez