CenturyTel Wisconsin Members Reject Contract

August 2, 2007

The ratification ballots for Local 4671 in regards to CenturyTel bargaining were counted today.  The Local rejected the tentative agreement by a wide margin.

Besides major pension changes for new hires, an unjust wage proposal, and destroying the meaning of seniority in every aspect of the contract, the company insisted on being able to send non-represented employees into represented areas to perform our members' work.

From the start to the finish of bargaining, the company acted like they had a vendetta against their Wisconsin employees and Local 4671.

Because the company was totally unprepared to explain their own pension plan proposal, it was necessary for CWA to file NLRB charges in an effort to get answers to our questions.  The company pension proposal didn't become clear until Ohio bargaining took place.

While we don't at this time know what the next step will be, it is clear that Local 4671 will need support from all Locals.

Local 6171 is in bargaining with CenturyTel now and if the company is serious about their proposal there is no doubt that an agreement won't be reached.