Alcatel-Lucent 2014 Bargaining Report #11

Bargaining Report #11

Alcatel-Lucent Installation 

With only 4 days left before expiration, our session focused on the Company’s “Workforce Transformations Plan.”

Some background:  In the last 5 years Alcatel-Lucent has subcontracted out all of our CWA jobs in Finance, Payroll, IT, Repair and Distribution and, as of Monday, all of Real Estate/Bell Labs.   In each of these cases the Union was able to negotiate terms to take care of our members but none of these jobs are represented under the CWA/Alcatel-Lucent Contracts anymore.  Under the Shift Plan the Company has made it very clear that it is their intention to reduce the Installation Workforce.  With NO changes in our contract language or agreement with the Union, the Company has the ability to “Permanently Transfer by Skill”; to move people to areas where there is consistently more work and give people very little compensation if they do not chose to go. We cannot let that happen.

You all should have seen the list we put out a few days ago of all the things Alcatel-Lucent wants to change in the contract to lower their costs and give them more “flexibility.”  The second part of their plan is to implement a major “transformation” of the workforce that will lead to fewer installers in more concentrated areas.  The third part is to make us pay more for or reduce benefits.  That is what we are facing.

Your bargaining team is working very hard to try to reach an agreement that protects as many Installers as possible and maintain as much of our current terms and conditions as we possibly can.  We want people to understand how difficult these issues are and how important it is for you to give us a strong “YES” on the strike vote and find ways every day to mobilize and let the Company know you are behind us.