Business Manager's Report - April 2010

YellowPages.com:

Bargaining in Henderson, Nevada continues. The union and the company are now getting down to what the union refers to as the “final stages of bargaining” finally.  That is not to say that we are close to an agreement, but we are considerably closer than we have been for some time.  Compensation and corresponding work practices and guidelines are at least on the table in written form.  However, most of the language connected with compensation is conceptual.  And although there is no agreement on compensation, we do have a skeleton view and plan on what the components of compensation should be from the union’s point of view given the nature of how ATT is changing the strategy going forward on what its new business plan for Yellow Pages.com is. We will be in Henderson negotiating the week of April 12.  As we get close to a better picture as to what the proposed contract will look like, details will be made available to both the Henderson and Charlotte offices.  AT&T has added a new member to the Yellow Pages.com bargaining table.  That individual is Rob Quirk currently a sales manager for the premise crew in Las Vegas. 

DEX ONE:  

As announced in Bus. Rep. Karen Gowdy’s report, your union and officials of Dex Media will begin discussions on new Market Assignment Guidelines.  This meeting will take place in Denver on April 20.  These discussions may include the company’s new sales performance plan that they say has been in the works for several months.  This includes a new error and claims performance plan.  At this stage, there has only been a rough draft on the concept of these performance plans, and the company has asked, as the union has required and expected, a vigorous discussion on these 2 plans.  In both of these instances, we do not expect an agreement to be forthcoming out of this meeting on April 20.  This meeting represents a departure from the company’s position on discussing the contents and the components of the performance plan from the most recent past.  Although this is a good sign, the union is on its guard.

DGA:

In our DGA bargaining unit, your union is awaiting the final selection of our DGA members who have submitted their proposed entry for the cover design of the DGA labor agreement. Your union has sponsored a grand prize for one of our members who will be chosen the winner of the contest. A surplus has again been declared in AT&T. This time it effects many of our GDIII designers and others in the DGA family. As we have done in the past, the Union shall engage the company to minimize any layoffs which may occur as a result of this company initiated action. Please stay tuned as we progress into May with this situation.

AT&T Advertising Solutions:

As previously reported, the AT&T Advertising Solutions (Pac Bell Directory) contract, is expiring in August of 2010.  Business Manager Pusateri and Asst.  Bus. Mgr. Casey Lewis have been engaged in preparations for several months relative to these negotiations.  These negotiations will have all issues on the bargaining table.  This will include all of the provisions of the labor agreement, pensions, benefit plans, 401k, savings and security, compensation, contract language and sales performance in addition to whatever new subjects are chosen by both the company and the union.  The union is in preparation of a data request from the company asking for specific information relative to many of these issues.  Asst. Business Manager, Casey Lewis, and Vice-President, Phil Hanley , have already started making contact with the union membership in a number of offices.  We will continue that process in the weeks leading up to the opening of negotiations.  The Business Manager will personally attend as many of these meetings as possible.  The purpose of these meetings will be to discuss the bargaining issues and the bargaining process which will include the possibility and the preparation for a union strike.  Your union is in the process now and will send out a bargaining survey to all of our members before our bargaining agenda is prepared and given to the company. As of this date, we have no idea as to who will represent AT&T at the bargaining table.  These negotiations, given the state of the business, and given the results of yellow pages print labor agreements reached between the CWA in Bell South, the CWA in the SBC territory and the IBEW in southern California will probably have some impact on negotiations.  Your union has adopted the slogan, “In for 10, out for 30,” which means save 10% of your annual income and be prepared to stay out for 30 days or more.