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Frontier, union locals return to negotiating table: Three weeks after workers rejected offer, talks resume. They've been without contract for 5 months.Apr 22, 2009 (The Times Leader - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Three weeks after rejecting the company's latest contract offer, the union representing workers at Frontier Communications Corp. returned to the bargaining table Tuesday. According to the Web site of The Communications Workers of America Local 13570, the union requested the resumption of talks with the company. The union could not be reached for comment. A Frontier spokeswoman confirmed the meeting was scheduled. The union, which represents nearly 400 workers, has been without a contract for nearly five months. Both sides negotiated approximately four months to reach the previous three-year agreement that expired on Nov. 30. Locals 13570, 13571, 13572 and 13573 overwhelmingly voted down a third tentative agreement on March 31, despite the union bargaining committee's recommendation of a "Yes" vote for the contract. Sticking points in the negotiations have been job security, pay inequities for customer service representatives, healthcare and workers' pensions. The company notified the union that it intended to reduce the number of line crews due to a drop-off in the construction workload. Frontier also planned to outsource certain job classifications under the new agreement. The negotiations are the first between Frontier and workers of the former Commonwealth Telephone Enterprises Co. Frontier purchased Commonwealth in 2007 for $1.29 billion. To see more of The Times Leader, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesleader.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |