Nov. 13th 7 PM -
The Votes Are Counted and The Contract Has Been Ratified. The contract as voted on will go into effect
immediately. The repair center wages will go into effect in January and the other job classifications pay changes will
be retroactive to Nov. 1st.
Nov. 9th - The Critical Illness Insurance is not part of your
Flex Plan. It is on the Equip site under Voluntary Benefits along with Pet Insurance, Long Term Care Insurance,
Legal Services etc. This is where you would enroll for this benefit and get more information on it. Not through
your Flex Benefits program. You will be eligible for this benefit if the contract is ratified but not before.
Nov. 8th - We are back from the road trip and most members have voted or received a ballot to mail in.
If you have not received a ballot or had a chance to vote please let us know. Because of the mail-in ballots we will
not be counting until Tuesday so you still have time. This is your wages and benefits and this vote should be important
to you.
Nov. 6th - Attention Repair Reps!!!!! There is some
confusion and some of it is our fault. We didn't explain everything correctly at the Friday vote meeting. The
call center raises would go into effect in January and will not be retroactive back to Nov. 1st. The $250 lump sum will
be paid upon ratification for the top scale reps. The other raises, the $1.00/hr and the moving into the new wage schedule
will take effect in January. Sorry for any confusion on this issue.
Oct. 30th - Meetings
to get everything explained and to vote on the contract:
The Coast - Wednesday, Nov. 7th, 6:30, Beaver Fire Hall
Poulsbo - Tuesday Nov. 6th, 6:00, Pizza Place
The Valley- Thursday Nov. 1st El Valley 5:15
The
Gorge- Friday Nov. 2nd Charburger Hood River
2:30-6:30 Drop in when you can.
Poulsbo-
Tuesday Nov. 6 Location and Time TBA
Coast- Wenesday Nov. 7 Location and Time TBA
Oct. 29th - Listed below is the entire tentative agreement
we have reached with the company. We believe that this is the best we will be able to obtain and we are bringing this
package out to the members with a recommendation to accept it. We will be holding meetings in each district to explain
it and answer questions so people can make an informed voting decision. If you cant make a meeting you may still vote
by mail and need to let us know that this will be the case. If you have questions contact Bill at : biciward@hotmail.com or call 541-490-1157. Please check this site, your union boards and with your reps for meetings dates and times.
Tentative
Agreement
1. Change appropriate dates
2. Change
all references from Sprint to Embarq
3. All paystubs will be electronic and all paychecks will be by direct deposit.
4. EIPP (Pay you receive if surplus is declared) raised to $525 per month with a maximum of $25,200
5. Critical Illness insurance added to voluntary benefits.
6. Improved
Bereavement Coverage: You are eligible for up to 5 working days for matters related to the death of immediate
family. Spouse, Domestic Partner, Child(includes step-child or the child of a domestic partner),Parent,
Brother or Sister(includes step brother or sister).
You are eligible for 3 days off with pay for other family members. Other family
members include those who are related to you through marriage(step or in-law), or through your domestic partner and are defined
as: Mother or Father in-law, Brother or Sister in-law, Grandparent or Grandchild. You are also eligible
for up to three days for Aunt, Uncle, Niece or Nephew.
7. An employee may take up
to 40 hrs. of vacation time one hour at a time.
8. Employees may carry over up to 40 hours of vacation to be taken by June 30th of the next
calendar year.
9. Standby pay to become fixed dollar amount. $25 for a scheduled work day, $35 for
a weekend day and $70 for a holiday.
10. Sick waiting days change: The STD plan will provide benefits when you have an absence
due to illness or injury that is 50% or more of your scheduled work hours each day and continues for more than seven consecutive
calendar days. Additionally the time to submit STD and FMLA paperwork increases from 15 days to 22 days.
11. $1.00 differential for BST techs who have applicable industry certification. (Currently CCNA)
12. Increase safety toe boot policy from $75 to $100
13. Add National MOA for seniority tie breaker to
contract. For employees hired on the same day the tie breaker for seniority will be the last four of the
social security number, the higher number being the most senior.
14. The July 06’ MOA for floor coach differential
to be moved to the contract.
15. Fixed company match at 25% on the 401k in place of performance match.
16. Repair Reps Compensation
Package: All reps to receive a $1.00/hour increase to the base wage. Those reps not
at top scale will be placed at appropriate step in the new wage schedule. The new wage schedule will be
a normal 10 step schedule like all other job titles with 6 month steps. Those not at top wage will receive
the annual % increase the same as the rest of the bargaining unit. Those at the top of scale, $15.36 with
the new increase, will get $250 each year, lump sum.
17. Elimination of double time
18. Combine Service
Tech and Cable Tech to make new Communications Tech title. The Service Techs wages will go up25 cents in
year one, 25 cents in year two and 21 cents in year three to bring them up to top scale. For the purpose
of vacation scheduling at least two Comm Techs per reporting location will be allowed off at any given time. If
a reporting location has 3 or fewer Comm Techs, only one may be off at a time. Local
management will have sole discretion to determine if more can be scheduled off. The intention/goal is for
all Comm Techs to become cross functional to maximize proficiencies. In accomplishing this, management
will meet with each tech to determine his/her individual skill set needs, so that developmental and training plans can be
established. Management will provide the necessary training based on the identified need for each employee.
It is understood that discipline will not result if a technician is not working proficiently in any skill set that
they have not been trained to do.
19. Recognition and/or incentive Programs – At the sole discretion of the Company, employee recognition
and/or incentive programs to honor exemplary performance, achievement of objectives, meritorious events, community service,
etc., by employees, may be unilaterally developed, implemented, modified or deleted. Such programs may
include, but not be limited to, cash payments and may be , at the individual and/or group level. The Company
will notify the Union in advance of any newly developed, modified or expired recognition programs, however, both parties mutually
agree to the above mentioned unilateral Company right. Nothing in any such plan may penalize, or in any
way disadvantage an employee for not achieving any of these incentives offered and participation shall be voluntary.
20. Standby language changed so that employee will not have to take a standby more often than once in a three week period.
Currently it is two week.
21. Wages will increase as follows. Nov. 1st, 2007 – 2.9%
Nov. 1st, 2008 – 2.9%
Nov. 1st, 2009 – 2.9%
Pension and Savings Shall increase based on wages.
We also have an agreement to be able to put meeting
announcements in the Newsflash and to be given time during new employee orientation to talk to them about the benefits of
being in the union and present them with the opportunity to sign up.
This is the package we will be voting on.
Oct. 26th Today
did not go as well as the rest of the week has gone. We continue to work to get an agreement but we have reached some
of the hard issues and are not seeing eye to eye yet on everything. This is where I want to caution everyone that the
tentative agreements we have reached so far could be changed at some point if we dont get to a mutual agreement on the major
issues. We will be back at the table Monday morning at 9am. Thank you all for your calls and emails of support.
