Frontier Bargaining Report #127

2/24/2023

Sisters and Brothers, 

Your committee met in a joint session this afternoon, the company passed another sub-par and inadequate modification to the FIOS jobs of the future MOA. 

Apparently, Alan Gardner was listening in to the joint session today because we were no more than 20 mins out of the session before Gardner felt the need to drop another email. This one appears to be mostly factual unlike most of his emails in the past. 

Below is the email from him in case you missed it:

Team,  

 Bargaining continued this week following the President’s Day holiday.   CWA: A holiday the employees do not get to observe.

 A Tentative Agreement (TA) was reached on two related CWA proposals establishing a Training Advisory Board focused on providing training opportunities for team members interested in development for technical positions in the bargaining unit. 

CWA: The second one was a way to receive training on higher paying technical titles.

 We improved our proposed wage package by increasing the Employee Annual Recognition (EAR) Bonus payable following ratification from $500 to $700 for each team member. Thereafter, it would be paid at $500 annually, as it is today.  

CWA: Mere games of the bargaining process. The company lowballs and slowly increases it periodically calling it movement. This is bargaining 101 which you should not be swayed by. Gardner's email was premature, which is of no surprise, the Union also TA'd TODAY a company proposal regarding Call Center Operations (a company proposal)

 We were encouraged by the February 17 CWA posting in which CWA’s lead negotiator said he was confident we could reach a full agreement by March 10 for you to vote on. As I said a few weeks ago, we have presented a fair and balanced settlement offer that we strongly feel should be accepted by the CWA and submitted to the ratification process. 

CWA: CWA's lead negotiator, TONY SHAFFER, has been confident of getting an agreement before expiration last August, then last September, October, and December. Tony was also confident of the same in January, February, and March of 2023. To best represent the members, we are fighting for what you, the company's employees, said you wanted in the surveys submitted. There were no surveys asking for the California agreement Alan. We ask the members to remember the August 2012 agreement that went into effect at the end of April 2013.

 Our proposals on Work-at-Home and Retiree Medical, which track what has been agreed to in CA and by other CWA bargaining units around the country, nonetheless remain open and in CWA’s court. To reach a full agreement by March 10, these proposals need to be accepted by CWA.  

CWA: To take such a huge concession on retiree medical will have to come with a generous enhancement in other areas. There are other proposals the Union still has on the table that is needed as well to get to a full agreement. There is also the issue of the pending board charges we have filed that will have to be addressed as well. Florida will soon be in negotiations this year, we may be seeing what they are getting while still bargaining for Texas if we do not get to an agreement. 

Also, Cali voted their first agreement down and didn't get theirs ratified until very late 2022, while their expiration was very early 2021. It appears Frontier is used to long negotiations. We very well may be headed for mediation.

 We will continue to keep you posted on developments.

Standing Strong For You, 
Your CWA Bargaining Committee

TS/cmt
opeiu#13