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CWA, SBC Reach Early Settlements
Washington, D.C.- The Communications Workers of America has reached tentative three-year agreements with SBC Communications that improve working conditions, job security, and compensation for some 116,000 CWA-represented workers at Ameritech, Pacific Bell/Nevada Bell, Southwestern Bell and Southern New England Telephone.
The contracts achieve CWA's key goals: card check recognition and neutrality for workers at subsidiaries throughout the SBC footprint and at SBC Telecom, which provides local and long distance services in 30 nationwide markets; improvements in working conditions for service representatives and operators, including the curtailment of mandatory overtime; and significant increases in compensation.
The settlements provide substantial job upgrades that will benefit thousands of workers, about one-third of the units. The contracts also address many specific local issues and include additional improvements across the individual bargaining units.
The settlements provide greater flexibility for customer service representatives and operators in scheduling vacations and time off, reduce the cap on mandatory overtime, and establish joint company-union committees to address concerns about monitoring, adherence standards and other job issues.
"Negotiations between CWA and SBC were very positive, and both sides have achieved good agreements. The contracts improve working conditions and expand opportunity for our members, while enabling SBC to continue to build on its success in a very competitive industry," said CWA President Morton Bahr. "These settlements strengthen our partnership and assure SBC that it will maintain the advantage of a highly skilled, highly experienced workforce."
The bargaining was coordinated across the four units, with CWA vice presidents Larry Mancino, SNET; Jeff Rechenbach, Ameritech; Andy Milburn, Southwestern Bell, and Tony Bixler, Pacific Bell/Nevada Bell, working with Bahr to achieve the final settlements.
The settlements were reached in advance of the contract expiration dates of March 31 and April 1. Negotiations first opened in late November, recessed at year's end, then resumed Jan. 29. Earlier this year, CWA negotiated a first contract with Cingular Wireless, the new company created by the merger of SBC and BellSouth wireless companies.
The compensation package provides general wage hikes of 12.25 percent over the three-year contract term: two increases, 2 percent on March 25 and 2.25 percent in October of the first year; 3 percent in the July 2002; and 5 percent in June 2003. With compounding, base wages will increase a total of 12.8 percent.
Service representatives will receive an additional 4 percent increase. Service representatives, operators and sales associates who use their bilingual skills will receive a pay differential of $5 a day or $25 a week. The settlements also include additional improvements in the operator service category.
Retirement improvements include enhanced pension benefits; an expanded survivor annuity distribution option; and maintenance of fully paid retiree health care during the contract term.
Other economic gains include a corporate profit sharing and team-based performance award plan and a grant of 150 stock options to each full time employee and 75 options for part-timers.
The settlements provide significant improvements in family, health and dental care, including:
Adoption reimbursement to increase from $2,000 to $5,000 a child.
Increased reimbursement for dental care and orthodontia.
A hearing aid benefit and improvements in vision coverage, including discounted laser eye surgery.
The contracts achieve CWA's key goals: card check recognition and neutrality for workers at subsidiaries throughout the SBC footprint and at SBC Telecom, which provides local and long distance services in 30 nationwide markets; improvements in working conditions for service representatives and operators, including the curtailment of mandatory overtime; and significant increases in compensation.
The settlements provide substantial job upgrades that will benefit thousands of workers, about one-third of the units. The contracts also address many specific local issues and include additional improvements across the individual bargaining units.
The settlements provide greater flexibility for customer service representatives and operators in scheduling vacations and time off, reduce the cap on mandatory overtime, and establish joint company-union committees to address concerns about monitoring, adherence standards and other job issues.
"Negotiations between CWA and SBC were very positive, and both sides have achieved good agreements. The contracts improve working conditions and expand opportunity for our members, while enabling SBC to continue to build on its success in a very competitive industry," said CWA President Morton Bahr. "These settlements strengthen our partnership and assure SBC that it will maintain the advantage of a highly skilled, highly experienced workforce."
The bargaining was coordinated across the four units, with CWA vice presidents Larry Mancino, SNET; Jeff Rechenbach, Ameritech; Andy Milburn, Southwestern Bell, and Tony Bixler, Pacific Bell/Nevada Bell, working with Bahr to achieve the final settlements.
The settlements were reached in advance of the contract expiration dates of March 31 and April 1. Negotiations first opened in late November, recessed at year's end, then resumed Jan. 29. Earlier this year, CWA negotiated a first contract with Cingular Wireless, the new company created by the merger of SBC and BellSouth wireless companies.
The compensation package provides general wage hikes of 12.25 percent over the three-year contract term: two increases, 2 percent on March 25 and 2.25 percent in October of the first year; 3 percent in the July 2002; and 5 percent in June 2003. With compounding, base wages will increase a total of 12.8 percent.
Service representatives will receive an additional 4 percent increase. Service representatives, operators and sales associates who use their bilingual skills will receive a pay differential of $5 a day or $25 a week. The settlements also include additional improvements in the operator service category.
Retirement improvements include enhanced pension benefits; an expanded survivor annuity distribution option; and maintenance of fully paid retiree health care during the contract term.
Other economic gains include a corporate profit sharing and team-based performance award plan and a grant of 150 stock options to each full time employee and 75 options for part-timers.
The settlements provide significant improvements in family, health and dental care, including:
Adoption reimbursement to increase from $2,000 to $5,000 a child.
Increased reimbursement for dental care and orthodontia.
A hearing aid benefit and improvements in vision coverage, including discounted laser eye surgery.
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