Qwest, CWA to resume talks; non-union cuts reported
After Communication Workers of America members voted down a tentative new contract agreement with Qwest Communications, the telco and CWA officials are due to meet again at the bargaining table this Thursday. Both sides have agreed on a deadline of midnight Friday to reach a new contract agreement. The CWA already has been authorized by its membership to call a strike, but it is unclear whether or not that will happen if the new deadline passes without agreement.
CWA rejected the tentative contract offer largely because it called for them to pay healthcare insurance premiums for the first time, costs that would have eaten into some of the 9.7 percent pay increase (over three years) included in the proposal.
Meanwhile, Qwest reportedly is cutting a number of non-union jobs across its 14-state region. The number of planned cuts was reported by the Omaha World-Herald to be between 400 and 600 jobs, though Qwest didn't confirm specifics about the plan or the numbers involved.
For more:
- see this story at Rocky Mountain News
- read this report at The Omaha World-Herald
Related articles
Qwest CWA members approved a strike back in August
Qwest and its unions reached a tentative agreement in late August
Qwest union members started voting on the new contract early last month
Qwest union votes tallied last week showed the contract was rejected
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Comments
Posted by DSCNNCTD | October 8, 2008 - 12:12am
They are getting rid of the dead weight now(management) in order to pay out the bonus's for the executive staff...
read the truth @ DSCNNCTDSQWESTEMPLOYEEBOARD@groups.msn.com
Posted by Anonymous | October 9, 2008 - 8:45pm
Perhaps they could save money and gain face with employees if they didn't micromanage with ineffective tools. The GPS system to improve dispatch timeliness and save money on travel time and gas has only been used to date to track and discipline. At $50+ per month there are some savings that could be passed on to the employees. Furthermore, the executives at this company don't seem to be suffering at all. Once again, no real money for the working stiff, but executives that will be with the company 3-5 years lavish themselves with multi-million dollar contracts.
Demand a management culture change and the union would accept a measly wage increase. However, treating your employees like they are the enemy and expecting them to eat poop pie...simply isn't going to work anymore. Pay up with respect if the cash isn't there.
One last thing, stop trying to inflate the pathetic "raise" the previous tenative agreement offered. 3%, 3% and 2.75% doesn't compound to 9.7%. For a business blog, ya'll can't do basic math! No wonder our economy is in the toilet. Somehow, I suppose union labor is at fault for that too...
Posted by Anonymous | October 22, 2008 - 12:41am
It has been almost two weeks since I lost my job at Qwest due to interstate layoffs. I sent more resumes out this morning... will check various job boards before bed and send more tonight. I have 60.00 left to my name and with only my pension not enough to make both my rent and car payment on the first of the month let alone pay the electric, phone, cable, insurance, food, and gas...
I am scared. I feel so lost. Worst of all, I feel like a total loser. I am NOT a charity case. I am NOT disabled... I am willing and able... so why?
How in the name of all that is Holy in this Universe did I get here? The girl voted most likely too... The girl that had her AS degree by age 17. The ballet dancer, the writer, the politican, the dutiful wife... a mother... how did I get so far down that nothing will let me back up? How? What did I do wrong? I has to be something... maybe lots of things.
My little townhouse may not seem like much... and I don't own it but I have cared for it like it is mine... I don't want to have to leave it. Yes, I was probably stupid not to save money... I just kept trying to pay off bills so maybe I could own my own home again one day... make a nice place for my grandchildren and Tom. Now I will be lucky if I can keep my car (the dogs and I could at least sleep in the Jeep.)
I am well qualified. I am not lazy. I have not given in to cancer, MS, Epilepsy... I kept getting up every time I got knocked down... now this. Where do I go now?
Then I read the financial statements for Qwest, the huge incentives and bonuses and sign on agreements given to Ed Mueller and the other executive officers. The shareholders that received dividends... and they keep laying off people decreasing the Spirit of Service and putting more people on the unemployment rosters during one of the worst economic time frames of our country. Qwest definitely cannot be considered financially responsible nor can it be considered patriotic.
I loved my job at Qwest... I gave them more hours then I ever billed for and this is where they left me and so many others... from contractors to lower management to occupational.
All I want is a job.. all I want is a job. I can't even stand to look at myself in the mirror. I am embarassed and exhausted.
Bonnie Pike
Posted by Anonymous | October 22, 2008 - 4:07am
Qwest employees pay for healthcare now, we will just have to pay $3,000 more with the new contract. Keep in mind that we have either received no raise or have gotten one that is less than the annual cost of living increases. So in effect, our salaries have gone down every year, despite the spin that qwest sends to the media (I know, I used to do media relations for qwest).
