Climate Reality Negotiation Results Over Layoffs

On Thursday, October 9, 2025, the CWA Local 2336 Bargaining Committee reported:

Dear Members,

Following Climate Reality’s layoff announcement, the Union entered into focused bargaining to ensure that any separation from the organization would be handled with the dignity and support our members deserve. We are pleased to report that, as a result of these negotiations, we were able to secure severance and additional healthcare benefits based on length of service for all impacted employees.  During previous bargaining we had reached a tentative agreement on Layoff & Recall as well as Severance.  Climate Reality was willing to honor those terms but during our additional bargaining over this unexpected layoff announcement, the Union proposed expanding those terms. 

Key outcomes of the Union's negotiations include:

• Extension of Garden Leave: Impacted employees will now remain on garden leave for one additional week, through October 15th. October 15th will be your last day on payroll instead of October 10th.
• Enhanced Severance Package: Severance pay will be based on years of service, ensuring fair compensation for your time and contributions to the company. (refer to chart below) Severance payments will be paid to you in the normal 2-week pay period cadence.
• Continued Medical Coverage: Members will receive extended healthcare coverage, providing crucial support after leaving employment and before a new job is found.  Impacted members are responsible for signing up for COBRA.  Please pay special attention to those deadlines. Climate Reality will be sending you this paperwork.  Make sure your mailing address and personal email address is up to date.
• Recall: The Union negotiated an opportunity to become re-employed with Climate Reality for up to 12 months.  Please read the language below that provides the terms of the recall procedure as negotiated during bargaining.

Length of Service	Severance Pay	COBRA Premiums
Up to 1 Year of service	4 weeks	5 months
Up to 2 Years of service	8 weeks	6 months
Up to 3 Years of service	11 weeks	7 months
Up to 4 Years of service	14 weeks	8 months
Up to 5 Years of service	17 weeks	8 months
Up to 6 Years of service	20 weeks	8 months
Up to 7 Years of service	23 weeks	8 months
Over 7 Years of service	24 weeks	8 months

****An employee whose annual salary is less than or equal to $75,000 will receive an additional week (5 days) of severance pay (on top of the amount calculated above) (The $75,000 will be adjusted with COLA increases during the life of this agreement).

Recall rights- Any bargaining unit employee who is laid off shall be placed on a recall/rehiring eligibility list for a period of twelve (12) months during which the laid-off employee (1) will receive recall notification in the event of a vacancy in the bargaining unit position from which they were laid off; (2) will receive notice of, and internal applicant status in applying for, another open position for which the employee is qualified; and (3) will retain their original seniority date upon recall or rehiring from the recall/rehiring list.  Provided, however, that the laid-off employee will be removed from the recall/rehiring eligibility list, and their seniority will terminate, if they are offered a job and fail to accept recall as provided in Section 5 below, or if they fail to accept, within five (5) business days, an offer of rehiring into another bargaining unit position for which they applied. 

A laid off employee who receives notification of recall to their former position will have five (5) business days to accept the position, in writing, and will be removed from the recall/rehiring list upon failure to accept the recall. In the event multiple employees on the recall/rehiring eligibility list were laid off from the same position, the Employer will offer recall to those employees, in order of their seniority, highest to lowest, before offering the vacancy to another laid off employee applicant. In the event only (1) employee is laid off in their title that employee will be offered recall first for that position.  If the employee declines, all other qualified employees on the recall/rehire eligibility list will be offered the position in order of seniority, highest to lowest. Any bargaining unit employee who was laid off and recalled to a bargaining unit position will return with all seniority they accrued prior to the layoff. 

Employees recalled to the bargaining unit position they held at the time they were laid off will be offered at least the same salary or the current adjusted salary band rate for that position, whichever is higher. 

In these recent negotiations the Union first explored possibilities for impacted members to be placed in any open positions.  In addition, we questioned and discussed with Climate Reality any continued use of consultants and/or contractors whose job functions may overlap or be the same or similar to the job functions impacted members were performing. No agreement was reached to place 1 impacted member into an advertised position.  We also requested and received a list of contractors/consultants Climate Reality does business with.  There was no determination reached that any on the list was performing such work. The Union will continue to have this list evaluated.   

We appreciate your patience during these negotiations and remain available to answer or provide any further information if you have any specific questions. Please reach out to the bargaining committee or your mobilization committee members.

Your Bargaining Committee:

Ella Carlson; Alejandro Sobrera; Ethan Spaner, Melissa Smith-Kupihea and Lisa Fazzini

Read the Bargaining Report here: