CWA - CenturyLink Bargaining 2011: Tentative Agreement

As a result of extensive debate and discussion during 9 joint, bargaining sessions held in Butler, the CWA reached a Tentative Agreement with CenturyLink on a new, three year contract at 1:16 AM on Tuesday, 11/01/11. The expiration date and time of the contract in effect during the negotiations was on 10/31/11 at Midnight. 

Here are the highlights:

Contract Effective Date and Duration:

• The provisions of this contract will be effective upon ratification by the Local 13000/Unit 101membership. The new three year contract Effective Date would be 11/01/11, the Expiration Date would be on 10/31/14, and all terms and conditions of the contract would be carried forth except as noted otherwise as a result of the recent negotiations.

Preamble:

• Change Embarq Pennsylvania to CenturyLink
• Change October, 2008 to October 2011

Articles:

• #2: The Company would excuse authorized representatives of the Union, for the purpose of Union negotiations, 7 days versus the current 5 days,
• #3: New Agency Shop provision that would be applicable to all employees entering into the Bargaining Unit on or after the effective date of this Agreement.
• #5: Changes in the job posting and promotion language specifying the selection criteria to fill vacant positions.
• #6: Employees would now receive a scheduled wage increase while on a Leave of Absence or while not at work due to disability or illness.
• #7: If the Company changes its Bridging of Service Policy, they will attempt to give the Union at least 60 days advance notice before doing so and the Union can request a meeting with the Company to discuss them.
• #10: Tour differential would be increased for Wage Schedule 2 from $2.41 to $2.60 per hour and for Wage Schedule 3 from $2.60 to $2.75 per hour.
• #13: Administration procedures pertaining to PTO, including the circumstances that unused time will be paid.
• #14: The Company will solely determine what the appropriate number of uniform garments or annual credit will be to purchase approved garments through the Company authorized vendor in classifications it deems appropriate and wear a pin designating affiliation with the CWA with the uniform as long as it doesn’t cover the Company logo. The Safety-toe footwear amount will remain at $300.00 over the life of this Agreement, thereby allowing the employee more flexibility what they purchase, as well as when.
• #16: Re-employment criteria changes and pay allowances for employees that exhaust their STD benefits or are placed on a Leave of Absence not to exceed four months. It was previously 6 months.
• #17: To be eligible for STD benefits the employee must have one year continuous service with the Company. Those with less than one year continuous service will no longer receive 100 % for 1 week and 60% for 12 weeks. Suspension or denial of STD benefits will be in accordance with the Absence Pay Leave Program guidelines, rather than the twenty two calendar days. The employee will receive a Supplemental Accident Pay Benefit equal to 85% of regular base pay when combined with Worker’s Compensation benefits. Social Security Disability Benefits and benefits under the plan are also coordinated.
• #18: Employees will receive the same group medical insurance, (including prescription drugs), group dental, group vision, employee life insurance, dependent life insurance, basic LTD insurance, supplemental LTD insurance, accidental death and dismemberment coverage, and health care flexible spending account at the same premiums for non-bargained for employees employed by the Company in the exchanges covered by and for the term of this contract. The Company will make available to employees, upon retirement, the same options for retiree benefits as are offered to non-bargained for employees who retire from the Company. Any amendments, changes and/or terminations made by the Company must apply equally to all eligible employees. The Company will attempt to give the Union at least 60 days advance notice before changes are made to the plan and the Union can request a meeting with the Company to discuss them. The Voluntary Benefits Program date changes from 11/01/08 to 11/01/11.
• #19: References to GE Corporate MasterCard are deleted in Sections 1 and 2. Embarq’s Employee Travel and Reimbursement Practice are deleted in Sections 1 and 2 and replaced with the Company’s Business Expense Reimbursement Policy.
• #20: Effective 11/01/11, a weekly tour differential of $190.00 would be paid. Effective 11/01/12, a weekly tour differential of $195.00 would be paid. Effective 11/01/13, a weekly tour differential of$200.00 would be paid.
• #21: The Facility Layout Technician title is deleted from the Occupational Titles list.
• #22: Changes were made to the procedure for adjusting grievances.
• #23: The American Arbitration Association would be replaced by the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service (FMCS) to resolve issues not satisfactorily resolved in the grievance procedure and an arbitrator would be selected from a panel of seven members requested from the National Academy of Arbitrators to the FMCS.
• #25: Outdated language was deleted from this provision.
• #26: Improvements were made to the Employee Income Protection Plan language.
• #28: Change the Retirement Pension Plan effective date from 11/01/11 to 11/01/11.
• #29: Change the Agreement expiration date in Section 3 from 10/31/11 to 10/31/14.
• #31: Correct Article # typo in Section 1 from 24 to 32 and add a Work and Safety Policies and Rules provision.
• #35: Modify the provisions pertaining to Recognition and Incentive Programs’
• #37: A new Article that addresses Picket Lines and Strikes.
• An MOA would be placed in this Agreement highlighting the Warehouse Duties grievance settlement in 08/2010.
• The Gross Wage Increase (GWI) in the first year of the Agreement would be 1.25% in the base, 1,25% in the base in the second year of the Agreement, and 1.25% in the base in the third year of the Agreement.

The ballots mailed to Members on 11/15/11 must be returned per the enclosed instructions to be counted on 11/30/11.

If this Tentative Agreement is not ratified by the Membership, the Company’s position is there will be no retroactivity.