U S West and union workers said they agreed late Sunday on a tentative three-year labor contract, ending a 15-day-old strike that had idled about 35,000 workers at the regional Bell telephone company.
The contract provides for a 10.9 percent pay increase, a 21 percent rise in pensions, a voluntary pay-for-performance bonus plan and a reduction in overtime hours to eight hours a week by 2001, according to representatives for the union and the company.
"These intensive negotiations were challenging and groundbreaking," said U S West spokesman David Beigie. "The CWA (Communications Workers of America) drove a tough bargain."
"We got a good agreement," said Sue Pisha, vice president of CWA district 7, which represents 35,000 of U S West's (USW) 51,000 employees. "My members' resolve on the picket line was why we got it."
CWA workers began reporting back to work Monday. Pisha said union members were being notified to report for their next scheduled shift, and all should be back on the job by Tuesday.
The proposed contract goes to CWA members for ratification. If approved, the new contract would include a revamped health care plan and more flexible work schedules.
Beigie said the company had informed its 15,000 managers, who had filled in for striking workers, to stay on the job until the hand-over was complete.
The CWA represents field technicians, directory assistance, and customer service representatives in 13 of the 14 states in U S West's territory, which stretches from Minneapolis to Seattle.
Bargaining between U S West and the CWA broke down on 15 August over issues of mandatory overtime, health benefits, and a company proposal to link pay to performance. The strike began on 16 August.
