CWA, Qwest avert strike


Communications Workers of America announced a tentative three-year agreement with Qwest Communications Aug. 16 that the union says achieves its major objectives: a fair wage increase, protecting health security for both active employees and retirees, and safeguarding against excessive hours of forced overtime.

The agreement covers 25,000 Qwest workers in 13 states and is subject to membership ratification by mail ballot. The results of the vote will be announced Sept. 30; union leaders predict the contract will win members’ approval.

Workers haven’t had a wage increase in three years, having agreed to extend the previous contract in 2001 and 2003 while the company tackled mountains of debt and past mismanagement.

The new agreement provides for raises of 3 percent this year; 2.5 percent next year, and 2 percent the year following.

Qwest agreed to continue employer-paid health care, and increased deductibles while decreasing co-pays. Drug co-pays were capped at $1,500 a year. There will be a new enrollment fee for spouse and family coverage: $300 a year for one dependent and $400 a year for more. Retired workers also will continue to get employer-paid health care, though life insurance coverage will be reduced from one year of pay to $10,000.

And management agreed to continue the 8-hour-per-week limit on mandatory overtime, backing away from demands to increase the limit to 16 hours. Workers went on strike in 1998 at Qwest predecessor company US West to win the limit.

This time, a deal was reached before a strike. Workers had voted 91 percent to authorize a walkout, but bargaining produced an agreement two days after the old contract expired.

“A good number of our members voiced a real strong opinion that we should have gone on strike,” said David Mull, executive vice president of Portland-based CWA Local 7901. But the union bargaining team believed that negotiations were making rapid progress, and they were able to reach agreement in two days.

Mull said it was the first time Qwest workers had worked without a contract; previously, when a contract expired without extension, workers went on strike.

CWA represents Qwest workers in 13 states: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.


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