CWA – Frontier Contract Negotiations - (Formerly Commonwealth Communications)

Bargaining Report # 1 - June 29, 2009

On Wednesday, 06/24/09, at 11:26 AM, the Union Bargaining Committee Chair executed a Memorandum of Agreement that was agreed to by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and Frontier Communications. It extends the Commonwealth Communications (CC) collective bargaining agreement to Friday, 07/31/09, at 11:59 PM and it covers Installer and Technician titles in Local 13571. The CC collective bargaining agreement was to remain in effect until Midnight on 06/29/09, however due to a few schedule conflicts and other commitments that prevented the parties from proposing or establishing mutually, acceptable bargaining dates in the short term; the collective bargaining agreement extension presented a reasonable resolution to the situation. Negotiation dates will be scheduled in July. As soon as the July dates are finalized, they’ll be included in the next, Bargaining Report posted on the Local 13571 and District 13 websites, sent to members that have their personal, e-mail address on file with the Local, and placed on Union bulletin boards.

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Bargaining Report # 2 - July 10, 2009

During their telephone conversation in the afternoon on Friday, 07/10/10, the CWA and Frontier Bargaining Committee Chairs agreed to the following, negotiations logistics: The Bargaining Committee Chairs will meet for the 1st time on Monday, 07/20/09. Th e Bargaining Committees will meet on Tuesday, 07/21/09, and start bargaining. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are being left "open" to bargain, if warranted. N o bargaining during the week of 07/27/09 due to Committee members’ vacations. All contract negotiations will take place in a local, Wilkes-Barre area hotel or motel. The CWA Bargaining Committee will caucus prior to the start of these contract negotiations to finalize the bargaining proposals of the effected, Local 13571 members. These Bargaining Reports will be sent to members covered by this contract, if the Local has their current, personal e-mail address, as well as be posted on the Local 13571 and District 13 websites, as soon as reasonable possible, after each bargaining session. All members of Local 13571 should also forward any personal, cell telephone number, home telephone number or address changes to the Local office immediately, for obvious reasons. It will only be used for internal, CWA administrative and mobilization purposes. The CWA’s first, bargaining experience with Frontier in PA, (since their acquisition of Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises in 2007), was less than positive. That remains unresolved, despite the major movements offered by that CWA Bargaining Committee. “There’s nothing that can’t be done, if we raise our voice as one.”

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Bargaining Report # 38, February 16, 2010

The members of Local 13571 employed by Frontier Communications, (formerly Commonwealth Communications), have rejected the Tentative Agreement (T A) reached by the Union and Company Bargaining Committees on Friday, 01/29/10. The Tellers of Election notified the Union’s Bargaining Committee Chair of the outcome of the ratification vote this evening, after certifying the results. All mail ballots returned and in the P.O. Box at the close of business today were counted. The CWA District 13 Vice President has been apprised of the ballot count and the Company’s Bargaining Committee Chair received a subsequent, telephone call and is now aware that the members have voted down the Tentative Agreement. Members will be asked to identify the top 3 or 4, specific issues they personally deem unacceptable in the rejected T A and/or other provisions in the last contract that warrant consideration. The feedback will be critical to any future negotiations. In the interim and going forward, as there are any contacts made between the parties, Bargaining Updates will be sent to every member with a current, personal e-mail address on file with the Local, in addition to being posted on this website.

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Bargaining Report # 39, March 02, 2010

A conference call was held tonight for the Union Bargaining Committee members to review the surveys completed by members of Local 13571, who are employed by Frontier Communications, (formerly Commonwealth Communications). The feedback received left absolutely no room for doubt that the members’ top, 4 reasons for rejecting the 01/29/10, Tentative Agreement were: 1) Pension-Related, 2) Compensation/Wages, 3) Sick Benefits, and 4) Personal Holidays. The Union and Company Bargaining Committee Chairmen have a telephone call scheduled for tomorrow morning, Wednesday, 03/03/10. The members’ extreme dissatisfaction with the inadequate treatment of those issues will be discussed. Every member needs to express those same sentiments to Frontier management each and every day, as a means to validate and reaffirm the Union Bargaining Committee addresses important issues that the members have asked them to. What happens in the workplace, shapes what takes place at the bargaining table.

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Bargaining Report # 42, April 08, 2010

The Union and Company Bargaining Committees met this morning for the first time since the membership voted down a Tentative Agreement on 02/16/10. A formal request was sent to the Company Chair on 03/17/10 to return to the table.  After the Tentative Agreement was rejected and prior to the formal request, the Bargaining Committee Chairs remained in touch with one another. The four most objectionable areas to the members in the T A were given to the Company Chair.  Those areas: 1) Pension-Related, 2) Compensation/Wages, 3) Sick Benefits, and 4) Personal Holidays, were identified when the members returned surveys to the Union Bargaining Committee, to establish a targeted, framework for discussions.  After an opening statement and recitation of the Introduction language in the CBA by the Union Bargaining Committee Chair, the four areas were presented to the Company, elaborated on, and put in context from the membership’s perspective.  The Company asked questions, made observations about the negotiations from its perspective, as well as commented about the members’ expectations. The Union responded as necessary and indicated it was interested in moving forward.  The Company Chair stated their Committee would need to caucus, if the Union had nothing further for them to take into consideration, and he’d have to make a telephone call. The Union stated it would standby and wait to hear from them.  At 2:29 PM, the Company Chair called the Union’s and stated the Company wouldn’t be able to return to the table today, however he’ll call after they’ve had an opportunity to discuss the current, T A situation at greater length internally.  An important P.S. – The Company acknowledged hearing the “equal in three” and “we’re all one” statements in the workplace, which reaffirms that they’re listening.

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CWA – Frontier Contract Negotiations - Bargaining Report # 45

Local 13571 members who are employed by Frontier Communications, (formerly Commonwealth Communications, LLC), have ratified the second Tentative Agreement brought back for consideration by the Union Bargaining Committee.

Ratification ballots were mailed out to the membership on Thursday, 05/13/10, and ballots postmarked by Wednesday, 05/19/10, were counted today by the Local 13571’s Election Committee. Their tally confirmed the majority voted Yes.

“Modifications”, (as characterized by the Company), of two, previously T Ad items were proposed by the Company on Friday, 04/23/10. One made improvements in the administration of Personal Days and the other one improved Sick Benefits.

After caucusing briefly, the Union Bargaining Committee returned to the table to inform the Company it wasn’t prepared to make a decision that day, as to whether or not it would take the proposed modifications back to the membership.

After subsequent discussions, the Union Bargaining Committee Chair notified the Company’s Chair on Friday, 05/07/10, the proposed, T A “modifications”, as well as the retroactivity provision, would be taken back for the members to vote on.

The change in corporate hands and management style has “enlightened” all of the members in Locals 13570, 13571, 13572 and 13573 as a result of the parties’ first round of negotiations at 3 tables since Frontier acquired CTCo and CC, LLC.

With that in mind, it’s imperative that every member familiarize them self with the provisions in their respective, contract to safeguard their benefits and rights, as well as apprize Local officers of any suspected and/or actual Company violations.

All new Company policies and/or programs presented by management should be brought to the Local officers’ attention in a timely manner, just in case they aren’t already aware of them. If they encroach on the contract, the Union will grieve it.

Consider today, our first day of preparation for the next round of negotiations.

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