CWA D3 ATT SE Bargaining - Explanation on Contract Extension

The contract has been extended for five days while CWA's Bargaining Committee attempts to reach an agreement on a new contract. The significance of a contract extension is that the agreement stays in place so that there are no changes in any terms and conditions of employment - wages, benefits, or work rules. This includes the fact that we cannot strike and the company cannot lockout for the duration of the extension. This also means that any grievances that arise during this period can be subject to arbitration (once the contract expires they are not). Finally, the company may not terminate check-off in an attempt to apply economic pressure during the period of the extension.

The extension does not necessarily have any effect on the term of the next contract. The established practice has been that all improvements in the new contract will be retroactive to the expiration date of the previous contract.