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U S West Strike Enters Second Day with Little Progress in Negotiations

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The strike by nearly 35,000 U S West workers, which began on Sunday, appeared to be ongoing with little progress in negotiations between the company and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union. While the phone network serving 25 million customers was running smoothly with 15,000 managers at the helm, employers in Colorado expressed concerns about the potential impact of a prolonged strike. The union, with a strong membership resolve, is demanding better wages and pension benefits, while the company is trying to sell its proposals through an advertising campaign.

Key Takeaways:

  • The strike by 35,000 U S West workers has entered its second day, with the CWA union maintaining a strong membership resolve demanding better wages and pension benefits.
  • The phone network serving 25 million customers is running smoothly with 15,000 managers at the helm, although delays in directory assistance continue.
  • Employers in Colorado are concerned about the potential impact of a prolonged strike on their businesses.
  • The company has launched an advertising campaign to sell its proposals, which include improved wages, pension, health, and educational benefits.
  • The heavily computerized 14-state network has been able to manage network problems remotely for about 65% of issues.
  • Managers are taking on additional tasks normally performed by workers, such as monitoring the network and addressing customer orders.

Statistics:

  • 35,000 workers are on strike against U S West.
  • 25 million customers are served by the phone network.
  • 15,000 managers are at the helm during the strike.
  • 65% of network problems can be fixed remotely.
  • 3,500 workers are normally based at the Network Reliability Operations Center in Littleton.
  • 500 managers have taken on the role of monitoring the network during the strike.
  • The CWA union represents U S West telephone workers.

Sources:

  • "U.S. West strike turning ugly" by Steven R. Nickerson, Rocky Mountain News, undated.
  • "US West: A Brief History" by U.S. West, undated.
  • "Communication Workers of America: Local 7253" by CWA Local 7253, undated.

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