Striking A Common Chord U S West Workers Digging In Most Strikers Show Solidarity; Managers Take On New Duties

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Considering that telecommunications company U S West is down about 4,800 workers in Washington, there may be a few delays.

On the second day of an employee strike over contract negotiations, managers scurried to keep the lines working throughout the region while members of the Communications Workers of America union picketed in the cool summer weather outside 11 locations in the Spokane area. They walked off the job at 11 p.m. Saturday when their contract expired.

The company has about 15,000 managers filling in for the 35,000 workers striking in 13 states including Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

At issue in the contract proposed by U S West is a new performance-pay plan that would freeze base pay and offer increases of an average of 20 percent based on meeting performance targets. Also, CWA members are angry about changes in their health-care coverage and the overtime agreement.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m a technician, and if there’s an emergency, I’m out there 24 hours a day to get it fixed,” said John Borkman, the strike committee chairman who joined the picket line outside the U S West building at 501 W. Second Ave. Monday afternoon. “But they want it (overtime) mandatory and they want to take double time away from us.”

While many CWA members spent Monday picketing, a few have already crossed the line, said Spokane organizers.

“We just hope they change their minds,” said Mary Moehnke, CWA Local 7818 executive director.

Most of the workers knew months ago that the contract negotiations might not go smoothly. Many, like Aaron Suiter, saved up to afford a few weeks without pay.

“I’m not worried about the time we’re on strike, but about what happens after it’s over,” he said.

Since many company services are fully automated, U S West doesn’t anticipate that basic services will suffer much from the strike, Smith said.

“There may be some delays in getting new services installed,” said Dana Smith, spokesperson for U S West. “Our top priority is to maintain basic services and maintain emergency numbers.”

Usually a customer can get a new phone line in five days. Now the company is warning that it may take a few days longer.

Several picketers said they anticipate the company will find it tough to fill their shoes.

“The managers won’t know how to fix the services,” said technician Dusty Hampton.

Hampton, who has worked for the company in Spokane since 1978, remembers the last strike in 1983, before the breakup of the parent company AT&T. It took more than three weeks to reach an agreement.

He said he’s ready to strike again for as long as it takes.

His co-worker and shop steward Sean Morrow, who’s only been at US West two years, said he cares about his job and is in for the duration, too.

“It’s a good-paying job,” he said. “And when there’s a contract in effect, it’s a very good company.”