CWA Charges Embarq's Slashing of Retiree
Health Care is Illegal
November 8, 2007
CWA this week filed unfair labor practice
charges with the NLRB against Embarq,
contending the company's announced plan to
slash retiree health benefits for future as
well as current retirees is a unilateral
change that ignores its obligation to
bargain with the union.
The company earlier announced that it
would drop retiree health benefits entirely
for employees hired or rehired after Jan. 1,
2008, and further, that it was cutting
health care for current retirees who are
Medicare-eligible, as well as capping their
life insurance at $10,000. The latter cuts
average $2,000 per year for each of the
14,500 retirees and dependents affected,
both management and union.
The initial charges were filed in
Tennessee and North Carolina and further
charges will be filed in 11 other states
where CWA represents Embarq workers. The
company was created last year as the spinoff
of Sprint's local phone operations.