Message from CWA 1298 President Dave Weidlich –
Today is Tuesday, August 20, 2024, and we held our first bargaining session with Frontier Communications. Thanks to your participation, the bargaining surveys identified Job Security, Contract Labor, Benefits, Pensions and Wages as some of our top priorities. We stand ready to fight, we have a mobilization plan, but we need everyone to do their part to get a fair and just contract. We will use every resource we have available including the media, our political allies and other labor organizations to get the best agreement possible. When Frontier filed bankruptcy, we were the ones that held them together despite their inferior systems, bad business decisions, and the incredibly poor customer service provided by vendors. For Frontier to be successful, our members need to be assured that they have a contract that includes job security, fair wages and benefits. I also want to give a BIG THANK YOU to our members who participated in our kickoff mobilization activities today. We will share bargaining reports as we have done in the past. Remember, when we FIGHT, we WIN, and TOGETHER, WE WILL WIN! Because @ CWA We Don’t Play!!
Today’s opening statement –
As we begin negotiations today, this bargaining team represents the needs and desires of our 1,400 members. We stand united with our siblings in Locals 1111, 1122, and 1170. Frontier is not in the same dire situation as in 2019, when they faced bankruptcy and financial ruin. Frontier should invest some of their newfound prosperity back into their workforce. With a 13% year-over-year growth in fiber revenue—a remarkable turnaround from the negative figures in 2019 and 2021—it’s crucial for Frontier to support the employees who have been integral to this success. According to CEO Nick Jeffries, Frontier is now the largest pure-play fiber internet company in the U.S., making it even more crucial for the company to support the employees who have been the backbone to this achievement.
For Frontier to remain a leader in this industry, they must respect their employees and the union that represents them. Frontier must negotiate this contract in good faith and adhere to the agreed-upon terms and conditions.
Make no mistake we will be addressing the contracting out of bargaining unit work and the overall diminishment of our work in general due to recent surpluses. Current language relating to contracting and Article 7 worked for many years because we had a mutual understanding of the process and how it worked. What was once understood between the parties has evolved into a very significant problem for our bargaining unit. We WILL be correcting these problems during negotiations
During this round of negotiations, we want to maintain the integrity of the bargaining unit. When Frontier acquired AT&T, we had over 2,400 members; today, we are down to 1,351 members. One of the Union’s goals is to maintain and GROW the bargaining unit.
Frontier has increasingly utilized manipulative practices that directly target our leverage title Sales Consultants—our dedicated employees who are the backbone of this organization. Along with our Service Reps, they are the "face" or voice that is there when our most vulnerable customers are ready to leave us for the competition. Instead of supporting these employees, Frontier has attacked them through systemic adjustments that have unjustly reduced their pay and imposed punitive disciplinary measures. It is clear to us that there is an intentional effort to undermine our union jobs. This strategy is not just a breach of our labor agreements; it represents a broader attempt to replace valued employees with external vendors, undermining the job security and dignity of those who have faithfully served this company.
As we enter these negotiations, let us be clear: our commitment is to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of our workers against such unfair tactics. We are here to ensure that the integrity of our labor force is respected and that any practices designed to diminish our positions or circumvent our union agreements are addressed promptly and decisively. Let’s work towards a resolution that upholds fairness, transparency, and the value of every employee in this organization.
In Closing: While Vice President Trainor is not with us today, he and AVP Gallagher will closely monitor our progress, as will our siblings in NY. CWA is united in District 1 and across the country. Frontier has stated they plan to grow the business. CWA shares Frontier's goal to grow the business, and we want to be partners in doing so while also growing the bargaining unit. In the coming weeks, this bargaining committee will outline the issues our members want to be addressed, including reducing contracting, preventing the erosion of the bargaining unit, improving benefits such as pensions and healthcare, and securing employment security and access to future jobs.
CWA is still awaiting requested information from the company, which is delaying our proposal preparations and our ability to evaluate any proposals from you.
Thank you.
In Solidarity,
Tonya Hodges – Chair – D1 Staff Rep
Katie Montalbano – Co – Chair – D1 Staff Rep
Dave Weidlich – Co – Chair President
Louise Gibson – Secretary-Treasurer
Esther Almodovar – CM VP
Phil Colello – Plant 1 VP
Ray Lucarelli– Plant 2 VP
Frank Oliva – HQ VP
Sherri Jefferson - CM BA
Michael Ciscar – Plant 1 BA
Jason Seibold – Plant 2 BA
Diane Vieira – HQ BA
