COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA, Locals 6300, 6311, 6312 & 6373 BRIGHTSPEED formerly LUMEN/CENTURYLINK OF MISSOURI: TA QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA,

Locals 6300, 6311, 6312 & 6373

BRIGHTSPEED formerly LUMEN/CENTURYLINK OF MISSOURI

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 

Questions submitted from last night’s conference call and answers.

1) Do we have succession in this new contract? Yes, successorship is in the current contract under “Agreement”, with no change to successors.

2) Why did the committee agree to 10/3/22 for wage increases to start? The committee only agreed to this start date at the very end when it was evident we would not get retroactive to March 14, 2022. And 10/3/22 is when Brightspeed took over.

3) Please clarify again Martin Luther King holiday for 2023.All employees on the active payroll on the ratification date of the contract will receive 8 hours of holiday pay at their regular straight time rate in lieu of the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Since this was a newly negotiated holiday in January 2023 the Company will pay 8 hours of holiday pay.

4) Does the below screenshot from the last TA still apply on this new TA? Yes

Article 6 – Vacations
Increased vacation entitlements as follows:
o 0 but < 1 yr. 0 vacation hours
o 1 yr. but < 5 yrs. 80 hours
o 5 yrs. but < 10 yrs. 120 hours
o 10 yrs. but < 15 yrs. 140 hours
o 15 yrs. but < 20 yrs. 160 hours
o 20 yrs. but < 25 yrs. 180 hours
o 25 yrs. and over 200 hours

Added language protecting employees from being forced to work mandatory overtime on weekends contiguous to scheduled vacation weeks or days.
Amended language to include occupational disability (Worker’s Comp) in Section 6.2.

Below are the changes that were in the last TA that carried over to the new TA.

Article 3 – Grievances

Changed time limits from 10 working days to 14 calendar days

Added language stipulating the addition of an extra day to the time limits for each holiday that falls within any 14 calendar day time limit period

Added language requiring the date and time of grievance meetings to be mutually agreeable by both parties

Increased the number of bargaining unit employees who will be paid to attend Step 1 grievance meetings to three
 

Article 5 – Arbitration

Changed time limits from 10 working days to 14 calendar days

Amended language to provide the Union the right to initiate “stop-the-clock” on time limits rather than seeking the Company’s concurrence

Company’s back pay liability limited to 18 months
 

Article 6 – Vacations

Increased vacation entitlements as follows:

0 but < 1 yr. 0 vacation hours
1 yr. but < 5 yrs. 80 hours
5 yrs. but < 10 yrs. 120 hours
10 yrs. but < 15 yrs. 140 hours
15 yrs. but < 20 yrs. 160 hours
20 yrs. but < 25 yrs. 180 hours
25 yrs. and over 200 hours

Added language protecting employees from being forced to work mandatory overtime on weekends contiguous to scheduled vacation weeks or days

Amended language to include occupational disability (Worker’s Comp) in Section 6.2
 

Article 7 – Holidays

Added Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a contractual holiday

Amended language to eliminate the 90 day ineligibility period for new hires to take Personal Holidays
 

Article 8 – Leaves of Absence

Amended advance notice language relative to Union representatives requesting time off for Union business
 

Article 10 – Contracting and Transferring Work Out

Amended the restriction on the Company’s use of contractors to the impacted Area Designation as described in Article 2 and an additional 50 driving miles from the impacted work location within the state.

Added language for Company notification and explanation of need to the applicable Local Presidents when it is necessary for employees to cross over Local jurisdictional lines for multiple consecutive days
 

Article 11 – Safety, Security, and Health

Added language regarding the Company’s obligation to safeguard the health and safety of its employees

Deleted “NOTE” in the current contract relative to the 50% Company subsidy on the purchase of safety footwear, not to exceed $75. This subsidy was available only to employees who were in titles requiring safety footwear at the time of ratification of the 2017 labor agreement. Additionally, to qualify for the subsidy, the footwear had to be purchased and expensed by December 15, 2017. In its place, the 2022 Settlement Package contains the following:

“The Company agrees to reimburse employees up to $150 for the purchase

of safety footwear for the life of the agreement. Footwear must be purchased and expensed by October 30, 2027; receipts are required for reimbursement.”

This improvement doubles the subsidy amount; extends the time period to the life of the agreement and makes it available to any applicable employee who is on the payroll in time to purchase and expense their safety footwear by October 30, 2027.
 

Article 16 – Sickness and Disability Leave Benefits

Housekeeping – Deleted unnecessary and obsolete “Effective…” language in 16.1

Changed name of Worker’s Compensation Supplemental Pay (WCSP) to Supplemental Worker’s Compensation Pay (SWCP)

Changed eligibility for Supplemental Worker’s Compensation Pay (SWCP) to employee’s who have completed one year of service

Housekeeping - Corrected omission of “/70%” in 16.8 that was agreed to in 2017 negotiations

Added protections for employees suffering a relapse from a previous disability. Successive disabilities due to the same cause that are separated by 30 days or less of active full-time employment will be considered one disability and will not trigger another waiting period.
 

Article 17 – Group Health Plans

Added language to include bargaining unit employees in the Voluntary Benefits Program.

Added language “ Should the Voluntary Benefits Program be terminated, the Company will provide a thirty (30) day notice to the Union”.
 

Article 18 – Pension Plan 

The CenturyLink Retirement Component of the Lumen Combined Pension Plan referred to as the “Retirement Plan”.

Add “or recalled”.

Changes to Compensation, Monthly Compensation and Final Average Pay under the Retirement Plan. 

No Compensation or Monthly Compensation paid to or for the benefit of any Retirement Plan Participant (“Participant”) who currently is, formerly was, or in the future will be, represented by Locals 6300, 6301, 6311, 6312 or 6373 will be taken into account for any purpose of the Retirement Plan after June 30, 2022October 30, 2024 (the “Compensation Freeze Date”). As a result, each Participant’s Accrued Benefit will be calculated using Final Average Pay (and its predecessor, “Average Annual Compensation,” as each term is defined in the Retirement Plan) that is based only on Monthly Compensation paid to or for the benefit of the Participant prior to the earlier of (1) the Compensation Freeze Date or (2) the Participant’s Severance from Employment. 

This change is not intended to reduce any Participant’s Accrued Benefit determined in accordance with the terms of the Retirement Plan as in effect immediately prior to the earlier of (1) the Compensation Freeze Date or (2) the Participant’s Severance from Employment. If the changes to the Retirement Plan as described in this Section should cause a Participant to receive a Normal Retirement Benefit (as defined in the Retirement Plan) that is less than the Participant’s Normal Retirement Benefit determined in accordance with the terms of the Retirement Plan as in effect immediately prior to the earlier of (1) the Compensation Freeze Date or (2) the Participant’s Severance from Employment, the Participant will receive the Normal Retirement Benefit determined in accordance with the terms of the Retirement Plan as in effect immediately prior to the earlier of (1) the Compensation Freeze Date or (2) the Participant’s Severance from Employment.
 

Article 19 – Wages

Change “Compensated Availability” to “Standby”.

Increase scheduled work day standby from $27 to $35

Increase nonscheduled work day standby from $35 to $40

Increase holiday standby from $55 to $60
 

Article 25 – Job Vacancy All Departments

Added language to include, “Employees moving to a lower rated positions will be placed at their current wage progression step in the wage schedule of the new job title in accordance with Exhibit B. Any subsequent wage increase will be made in accordance with Article 19.3.

Article 26 – Overtime and Sunday Time – All Departments

Added language to include, “In order to meet this obligation, employees must provide the Company with a can be reached number or utilize the Company-provided phone after hours. If employees are unable to return phone messages in a reasonable amount of time or do not answer, that will be considered unavailability for callout.” 

“When administratively feasible, management will endeavor to notify employees of the requirement to work same day mandatory overtime by no later than four (4) hours before the anticipated need. Should there be a need to work mandatory overtime on an employee’s unscheduled day, when administratively feasible, management will endeavor to notify the employee by noon on the scheduled workday prior the employee’s unscheduled day off.”

“All hours worked on non-scheduledSundays (if Sunday is part of the regular posted work schedule, all hours are paid at the basic rate of pay).Employees assigned to work on a scheduled Sunday will be paid a differential of $2.50 per hour for the first 8 hours worked in addition to their hourly wage rate.”

“First 8 hours worked on ascheduled Sunday(NOTE: Sunday must be part of the regular posted 

schedule to qualify).”Counts toward the overtime build.
 

“inclement weather (does not apply to Section 9.5),”

“Any hours worked on a non-scheduled Sunday.” Does not count toward the overtime build.
 

“overtime shall be distributed as equally as possible”
 

Article 27 – Work Schedules – All Departments

Corrected language from 2017 bargaining 48 hours to 56 hours.

Delete “Retail Only” language.
 

Article 31 – Force Adjustment

Added language to include, “Release of Contractors – In the event of a reduction in a work group, contractors in the impacted area designations will be released before any bargaining unit employees.”

Change “classification” to “title”
 

Added language to include, “or elect to displace a contractor performing the same or similar work functions in a different area designation as outlined in Article 2, Recognition and Area Designation.”
 

“An employee who is bumped shall be added to the surplus list in seniority order and such employee may replace a contractor or exercise bumping rights as specified above.”
 

Added language to include, “The company will be prohibited from utilizing contractors or employees from other bargaining units in the impacted work area designations for a minimum of six (6) months from the time the employee is laid off or dislocated.”
 

“In all situations associated with Reduction in Force in accordance with the Article 31, Force Adjustment, the Company will pay moving expenses in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement, Hourly Relocation Plan.”
 

Article 38 – Recognition and/or Incentive Program

Delete Retail Store last sentence.
 

New Article 41 – Home Garaging

Home Garaging will be administered in accordance with the current Company policy. The Company reserves the right to amend or discontinue the policy in accordance with Article 21. 1. However, employee participation in Home Garaging, where offered, will remain voluntary.
 

Memorandum of Agreement – 401(K) Savings Plan

Increase for employees hired, rehired or transferred into this bargaining unit on or after March 13, 2008 and before July 1, 2015, the match will be 58 cents for every $1 contributed by the employee, up to a maximum of six percent pay.

Automatic enrollment for new hires.
 

Memorandum of Agreements

Renewed the following Memorandum of Agreements through the life of the contract:
 

CenturyTel Inc. Plan for Hourly-Paid Employees’ Pensions

Hourly Employees’ Pensions Lump Sum Pre-Retirement Death Benefit

Lump Sum Payment Option

Payroll Deduction For Cope

Common Interest Forum (CIF)

Hourly Relocation Plan

Interns

Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association (VEBA)
 

Exhibit C – Job Titles

Delete the following job titles: Equipment Installer, Mailroom Clerk, Retail Sales Consultant, and Customer Care Specialist. In the event these job titles are reinstated, the agreement will be opened to negotiate the wage rates for these affected job titles.
 

AV/ck
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