Union Members

CWA membership approves Qwest contract

Dan O'Shea — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 23:14:33 -0500

Communications Workers of America (CWA) members have voted to approve a revised four-year contract offer from Qwest Communications after the completion of the union vote was initially postponed for about a week. About 77 percent of the 20,000 CWA members affected ultimately voted to approve the new contract, which Qwest and the union revised after union membership voted down an early proposal in September. Results of the second vote were delayed becayse some union members had not received their voting materials early enough.

As a result of the new deal, CWA members working at Qwest will receive a 12 percent pay hike over four years, but with increases in worker health plan contributions as well.

For more:
- The Denver Post provides coverage

Qwest, CWA to resume talks; non-union cuts reported

Dan O'Shea — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:14:40 -0400

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

Qwest union rejects new contract

Dan O'Shea — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:38:01 -0400

In a rare move, Communications Workers of America members rejected a tentative contract negotiated with Qwest Communications in late August. The contract was put to a vote in recent weeks by the 20,000 or so members of the union, and the rejection sends CWA and Qwest officials back to the bargaining table to figure out what went wrong and what to do next.

There is currently no work stoppage planned, though union members had in fact authorized a strike back in August if the action became necessary. Now, the CWA and Qwest may try to extend an already expired contract a little longer.

The proposed contract promised 9.2 percent wage hikes over the next three years, but union members may have balked at the inclusion of higher health-care premiums for workers and retirees.

Qwest officials seemed baffled by the rejection, and indeed, it was not immediately clear when any large telco's union members had last rejected a newly-negotiated contract. CWA officials said they believe that hasn't happened at Qwest or its predecessors in about 40 years.

Qwest said its operations will not be affected by the news, and that it has contingency plans in place in the event of a strike.

For more:
- read this story at The Denver Post

Qwest contract vote process underway

Dan O'Shea — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:19:16 -0400

The 20,000 or so Communications Workers of America members who work for Qwest Communications International are in the process of receiving ballots to vote on the new contract Qwest and CWA tentatively agreed to last month. Union members have until Sept. 30 to turn in their votes. The tentative deal includes raises totaling 9 percent over three years, as well as an increase to the base pay of sales staff, and a 3 percent increase in pension payouts.

The telco and its unions were able to reach an agreement and avert a possible strike just days before the Qwest network provided the communications foundation for both the Democratic National Convention in Denver and the Republican National Convention In Minneapolis.

For more:
- see this item at The Seattle Times

CWA, IBEW expected to authorize Qwest strike

Jim O'Neill — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:09:40 -0400

With negotiations ongoing—and rocky--between Verizon, the CWA and IBEW, another big contract deadline with major issues is about to come due on the other side of the country. And, like their union members on the East Coast, Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers employed by Qwest are likely to authorize a strike as well.

Strike authorization votes (voting continues through Saturday) are par for the course, they give the unions a little extra sway. Verizon's unions saw 91 percent of their members authorize leadership to call a strike. And, while it doesn’t mean anyone will walk, it does lend a little more urgency to the negotiations.

It’s no surprise that Qwest and its unions are fighting over similar issues—health care benefits and job security--as those Verizon’s cast is facing. Qwest wants workers and retirees to pick up a bigger slice of the health care pie and wants to be able to outsource more work—specifically customer service call centers to the Philippines. The unions want those jobs back home.

Qwest and its unions have been meeting since July 8 in Denver, trying to assemble a deal before the Aug. 16 expiration—and before the Democratic National Convention arrived in Denver Aug. 25-28. Qwest has the added burden of worrying about the GOP convention as well, which is in Minneapolis—another Qwest-served city—in September.

Qwest spokesman Bob Toevs said, "There's a host of issues, health care, wages and a lot of others," including how long a new contract would last.

You can be sure both sides are closely watching the talks in New York and Washington, D.C., for a handle on just how much give each side is willing to withstand. For the CWA and IBEW, the Verizon contract will help lay the groundwork for a number of future telco labor agreements.

For more:
- See this Omaha World-Herald story

Related articles:
Qwest wants contract talks settled. Qwest contract report
Qwest scrambles as DNC nears. Qwest report
Qwest battles retirees over insurance. Qwest retiree report