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BPS Telephone Final Bargaining Report

The highlights for the new agreement are outlined below.

 Duration

  • New agreement is 4 years

 

Wages

  • 1st Year – 3.5% Base Increase
  • 2nd Year – 3.5% Base Increase
  • 3rd Year – 3.5% Base Increase
  • 4th Year – 3.5% Base Increase

 

Benefits

  • No changes

 

Contractual Changes

 

ARTICLE 13

TELEPHONE AND BROADBAND SERVICES

The Company will provide one basic line access, including touchtone service, and a highest available speed broadband internet service with a minimum speed of 25 mbps downstream and 3 mbps upstream for each employee at the employee's residence if the residence is located in the Company's service area. Additionally the Company will provide any three of the following custom calling services:  call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling, abbreviated dialing or caller identification.  The employee will not be responsible for local service charges or the charge for the selected three custom calling services but will be responsible for any specific charges or taxes.

ARTICLE 27

EVENING MEAL EXPENSE

An employee working a tour normally expiring prior to 7:00 o'clock p.m. who is required to work overtime a minimum of two (2) hours beyond their scheduled tour and who is not given an opportunity to go home to eat shall be given an evening meal allowance of $11.00$9.00 for an evening meal which shall be eaten on non-company time.

ARTICLE 28

BOARD AND LODGING

Section 1.  Work Assignments.  An employee assigned away from his designated reporting center may be required to stay overnight at or near the work locations.  When he is required to stay overnight, the Company will pay for board and lodging.  A fifty-five dollar ($55.00)fifty dollar ($50.00) per diem will be provided for each day of the overnight assignment.  Receipts will not be required.

Section 2.  Allowance For Schools/Training Requiring Overnight Lodging.

A.  Employees attending schools/training requiring overnight lodging will be furnished transportation to the school and lodging by the Company. A fifty-five dollar ($55.00)fifty dollar ($50.00) per diem will be provided for each day of the overnight assignment. Receipts will not be required. In addition, a laundry allowance not to exceed $7.50 per week will be furnished by the Company starting with the second week.

B.  All time spent traveling at the Company's request shall be paid as time worked at the appropriate rate.

Section 3.  Allowance For Schools/Training Not Requiring Overnight Lodging.

A.  Employees attending schools/training that does not require overnight lodging will be furnished transportation to the schools/training by the Company unless the distance from their residence to the school/training location (as measured on the official State of Missouri road map) is less than the distance between the employee's residence and his permanent place of reporting. If the distance is less, the employee will provide his own transportation.

B.  Employees attending schools/training which extend beyond their normal lunch hour will be reimbursed $15.50 $14.50 for lunch meal expense.  This provision will not apply if the Company provides a noon meal.

C.  All time spent traveling at the Company's request shall be paid as time worked at the appropriate rate.

Note:  This Section does not apply to on-site training at the employee's permanent place of reporting.

Section 4.  Partial Days.

A.  For days not requiring consumption of all meals, a partial day per diem will be provided in accordance with the appropriate Section 1 or 2 above, as follows:

Breakfast only -        $12.50 $10.50

Lunch only    ­            $15.50 $14.50

Dinner only   -           $27.00 $25.00

In the event that a work or training assignment entails the consumption of two, but not all three meals, the partial day per diem provided will be the appropriate combination in accordance with the table above.

Section 5.  Personal Vehicle Use.

A.  If an employee, with the approval of the Company, elects to use his/her own vehicle in reporting to and returning from a Company school or training session, in lieu of other transportation referred to herein, the Company will reimburse the employee at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reimbursement rate for mileage in effect at the time of travel.  This reimbursement will apply to the mileage difference between the mileage from the employee's residence to his/her permanent place of reporting and the mileage from the employee's residence to the school he/she is attending.

In Solidarity,

Your Bargaining Committee