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Sprint disputes claims it flouted law in layoffs [Orlando Sentinel :: ](Orlando Sentinel (FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 02--When Sprint Corp. gave pink slips to 400 call-center workers in Altamonte Springs last month, it gave them a one-week notice -- far short of the two months required by federal labor law. The company said this week, however, that the layoffs, which affected more than 1,400 nationally, not only followed the law, but in some instances, did even more than required for displaced workers. The wireless telecom giant disputed recent allegations by workers-rights advocates and the Communications Workers of America that it may have violated federal law by short-changing workers both in their compensation and the advance notices. It was the latest in a series of spats between Sprint and the CWA, a union seeking to represent Sprint workers. Sprint could owe as much as $4.5 million in back pay, including $1.2 million to the Altamonte Springs workers alone, according to an estimate by the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group based in Washington that is often cited by organized labor. Sprint said, however, it has done everything by the book in its downsizing. "While job reductions are always difficult, Sprint has paid employees appropriately under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and complied with all other applicable federal and state laws," Sprint said in a prepared statement. "Any allegation otherwise by the CWA is false." When Sprint announced the layoffs on March 18, it said the affected employees would work through March 25 and would be paid through April 8. It also said they would be eligible for other unspecified severance pay based on years of service. This week, Sprint clarified the earlier information and spelled out details. The company said workers will receive their final regular paychecks next Tuesday, April 8, and will continue to receive full pay and benefits through early June, or 60 days after the layoffs were announced -- as required by law. Sprint said it would extend that period to 90 days in states that require the longer period. If workers sign a waiver agreeing not to sue Sprint over any workplace-related issues, they will receive another two weeks of pay and benefits for every year of service, the company said. Such offers are typical in corporate downsizings. "This goes above and beyond what the law requires," spokesman John Taylor said. But union officials and workers-rights advocates were not convinced. Debbie Goldman, telecom policy director for the CWA, said the lack of proper advance notice was a "flagrant violation of Sprint's obligation to its employees and the communities where they work." Advocates said the compensation doesn't get Sprint off the hook when it comes to the WARN Act's requirements. "The advance notice is intended to give workers and their families transition time to adjust to the pending loss of employment," said Lynn Minnick, a workforce development expert for the employment law project. "By not providing the appropriate notice, Sprint not only made it harder for laid off workers, but also for the state and local agencies that are responsible for providing them reemployment and retraining services." [email protected] or 407-420-5256 ___ (c)2014 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |