Sep 16, 1998

By a greater than 3-to-1 margin, members of the Communications Workers of America at Southern New England Telephone ratified a new contract that provides general and equity wage increases for workers across job titles, among other contract gains.

The vote ends a nearly four-week-long strike by some 6,300 members of CWA Local 1298/Connecticut Union of Telephone Workers at SNET that began Aug. 23.

Over the 32-month contract term, wages will grow by as much as 15.9 percent, the result of a compounded general wage increase of 11.4 percent and additional equity pay raises. Wage upgrades in a number of job classifications will boost salaries substantially higher. The agreement also improves health care benefits and includes substantial increases in the cash balance account retirement plan.

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