Premise Tech Bargaining Report #13

Premise Tech Bargaining Report #13

The Premise Tech Bargaining Team met in caucus on April 25, 2012 preparing to meet with the Company. We prepared a full agreement including a fixed wage progression table, 2% automatic increases on each anniversary of the contract, core health care benefits, a grievance arbitration procedure and many improvements in work rules. The committee unanimously agreed to present our demands to the Company.

On April 26, 2012, we met, presented and explained our demands. After several hours, the Company returned with many questions. After lengthy discussion, the Company was stuck on the Premise Tech scope of work. The Company commented that we had come a long way from our original proposal in reaching a settlement however; they insisted that the Premise Techs be allowed to perform work currently protected in Article 14 of the BST core agreement. We informed the Company that the core agreement was not being negotiated at this table and we would not entertain any proposals taking protected work from the core.

The Union proposed to do a 3 month trial using service techs in an agreed upon location to perform Uverse work in order to do a cost study of savings derived from not having a two or three truck roll and ultimately converting all from prem techs to service techs. The Company became adamant stating they had refused to do that in 2007, again in 2009 and now refuse in 2012. We were informed that we are the most expensive area to install and maintain Uverse services and until we bring a proposal that cuts the Company cost of doing business in the Uverse arena and proposes a broader scope of work for Premise Techs there was nothing left to discuss. The table broke down when it became obvious the neither party was able to move on this critical issue.

We will forward over final proposal to our Washington office in an effort to put pressure on the Company hierarchy to encourage their bargaining team to reach agreement.

In Unity,

Your Bargaining Team