Qwest, union push for new pact
By Jeff Smith, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 16, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Qwest Communications and its largest union were intensifying talks Friday in efforts to reach a new contract before the Sunday deadline and avert a potential strike a week before the Democratic National Convention.
Both sides reported late Friday afternoon that progress was being made.
"We're hopeful that we'll get to an agreement this weekend," said Qwest spokesman Bob Toevs. "I think it's fair to say (health care) is the big topic, and we're seeing progress on other fronts as well."
Other issues include job security and wages.
The labor agreement covering 20,000 union workers expires at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. The executive board of the Communications Workers of America, Qwest's largest union, has approved a strike if a fair contract can't be reached.
Al Kogler, spokesman for CWA District 7 in Denver, said there are a couple of other possibilities if an agreement isn't reached by the deadline. The two sides could agree to extend the current contract or the union could work without a contract for a few days, he said.
"We want a contract for the workers," Kogler said. "We don't want a work stoppage."
He said a strike would be called only as a last resort.
Qwest managers were put on alert months ago to forgo vacations.
"We have the ability to maintain network operations and customer service" in case of a strike, Toevs said.
The last strike was a decade ago.
Experts have said a strike would give a black eye to Qwest, which is the official telephone and Internet provider for the DNC and for the Republican National Convention the following week in Minneapolis-St. Paul. But Kogler said a strike would reflect poorly on the union as well.
Verizon and its unions reached a tentative agreement last weekend to avoid a potential strike. Verizon agreed to continue paying 100 percent of employee and retiree health premiums, but new employees will see retiree health care cuts.
Qwest, which recently lowered its financial forecast, is considered to be in need of more concessions than Verizon. Kogler said some creative solutions are being discussed "to address the growing cost of health care without it showing up as a monthly charge for members."
smithje@RockyMountainNews.com, or 303-954-5155
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