WASHINGTON-The Communications Workers of America said it reached a tentative agreement with Cingular Wireless L.L.C. on a new contract covering 5,300 workers 15 states and several provinces of Canada.
CWA said the accord provides for a wage increase of 11 percent for Cingular workers during the four-year contract term and improves base compensation for retail sales members by more than 25 percent.
The union said the agreement strengthens employment security, which it said was a big issue in the wake of Cingular Wireless’ $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. last year. The new contract also addresses call center and retail matters such as quota relief and job duties, CWA said.
The new agreement is subject to membership ratification, according to CWA, and locals will provide a detailed bargaining report and information on contract explanation meetings and the ratification schedule to members shortly.
“Cingular Wireless and the Communications Workers of America have maintained a positive and mutually beneficial relationship over the years. Last week, we concluded negotiations on a new tentative labor agreement with the CWA in six districts, which represent about one-fourth of covered employees at Cingular but only about 8 percent of our total workforce. We were able to reach this agreement with minimal disruption to our employees and workplaces, and no disruptions to customers,” said Rochelle Cohen, a spokeswoman for Cingular.
Cohen said the new pact replaces the 2001 labor agreement Cingular had in those districts, which was set to expire Feb. 5 but was extended on a day-to-day basis as bargaining talks occurred.
“We appreciate the hard work and dedication by both bargaining teams throughout negotiations, which began on Jan. 12,” said Cohen. “We can’t discuss the details of the agreement, which is subject to ratification by union members, but it addresses key concerns for our employees while allowing the company to maintain flexibility in a competitive, dynamic marketplace. We expect that the CWA will share comments concerning key points to the new agreement with their members as they seek ratification.”
The “Orange Contract” covers CWA Cingular workers in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. The agreement also applies to the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
