Phone Workers Show Solidarity
Communication Workers of America members appeared to be inching closer to a strike this weekend against US West during a lunchtime solidarity rally Thursday.
About 50 workers from Spokane-based Local 7818 picketed and chanted “we’re solid, we know it” on the sidewalk outside US West’s building at 501 W. Second Ave.
The union’s contract with US West expires at 11 p.m. PDT on Saturday.
Mary Boehnke, Local 7818 executive vice president, said union officials in Denver had informed the union that no progress has been made on issues of excessive overtime, adjusted health care plans and compensation.
“The fact that they (US West) show up means they’re bargaining in good faith, but that’s where it stops,” Boehnke said.
Earlier this week, following a two-day strike, Bell Atlantic reached a settlement with the CWA on many of the same issues.
US West spokeswoman Dana Smith said the company was confident that a deal could be reached before a strike. US West also requested and received a federal mediator Thursday.
“We’ve been working nonstop,” Smith said. “There’s been give and take.”
The main sticking points remaining are the compensation package and overtime policy, Smith said. US West withdrew its demand that employees pay 15 percent of their dependents’ health premiums. Employees will remain under the current policy of zero premium payment, Smith said.
A phone company strike here might include one factor neither side can control. Weather forecasts say the weekend could be stormy, and storms or storm-caused fires could knock out some phone service in the area.
Dan Peck, a union communications representative, said service could be down for almost a week after a storm if technicians are on strike.
But union officials generally agree that new phone installation would be the area most disrupted by a strike.
Local 7818 represents about 400 US West workers in Spokane, Lewiston, Colville and Deer Park.
CWA officials said Aug. 3 that 92 percent of its 36,000 US West employees voted to authorize a strike.
Boehnke said compensation issues have not even been discussed in negotiations with less than three days until the current contract expires.