CWA Members Cancel Unfair Labor Practice Strike: Bell Atlantic Agrees to Settle Outstanding Health C

NEW YORK-The Communications Workers of America canceled an Unfair Labor Practice strike scheduled for May 31 after Bell Atlantic agreed over the weekend to settle a series of unfair labor practice charges the union had filed against the company's unilateral increases in co-payments under its HMO health care plans.

The agreement was reached late Friday evening after three days of intensive negotiations between CWA and Bell Atlantic. Under the terms of the settlement, Bell Atlantic agreed to reverse any unilateral increases in doctor, prescription drug, emergency room and other co-pays it had implemented in recent years. In addition, the company will reimburse workers who had been subjected to the improperly increased co-payments.

An Administrative Law Judge of the National Labor Relations Board had already found Bell Atlantic guilty of an Unfair Labor Practice for raising co-pays for HMO doctor visits. The company agreed to abandon its appeal of the decision as part of the agreement to avert the strike. In addition, the NLRB had issued complaints in two other unrelated cases.

CWA has filed nine additional charges with the NLRB on health care and a variety of other issues. Since CWA announced its intention to hold the ULP strike, originally scheduled for May 24, most of the non-health care related issues had been settled. The talks that concluded successfully on Friday produced an agreement on the most important outstanding health care issues.

"A strike is a weapon of last resort, so we are very pleased that these problems have been settled prior to tomorrow's deadline for the Unfair Labor Practice strike," said Larry Mancino, Vice President, CWA District One. "Our strategy succeeded in protecting our members from Bell Atlantic's illegal increases in HMO co-pays, and the settlement ensures that thousands of members will receive the proper reimbursement. We also hope that this settlement will usher in a new era of respectful treatment by Bell Atlantic management."

As part of Friday's agreement, CWA and Bell Atlantic agreed to continue negotiating in an effort to find mutually acceptable ways of addressing escalating costs while guaranteeing high quality service in the HMO plans. The parties sought to reach such an agreement on Friday, but were unable to do so.

Approximately 35,000 telephone workers at New York and New England Telephone were poised to strike on Wednesday. Under federal law, a union is permitted to conduct an Unfair Labor Practice strike if management commits serious unfair labor practices that undermine the viability of the collective bargaining relationship.

CWA's two major collective bargaining agreements with Bell Atlantic expire on August 5. In addition to the New York and New England workers, an additional 35,000 CWA members are covered by a contract for workers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

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For more information, contact Robert Master, CWA District 1, 212-344-2515.