The BellSouth Corporation reached a tentative five-year agreement over the weekend with the Communications Workers of America on labor contracts for 45,000 employees.þþBellSouth agreed to increase pay 10.5 percent over the term of the contract and to let union members perform work currently done by workers outside the company, a union spokeswoman, Candice Johnson, said. þþBellSouth, which is based in Atlanta, and the union had been in discussions since June over contracts that were to expire on Saturday.þþDuring negotiations, the company sought to slow growth in the company's annual $1 billion employee health care bill. Workers said they wanted pay increases, job security and improved pension plans.þþA major component of the new agreement allows union members to take some jobs in the fast-growing wireless and digital subscriber line, or D.S.L., communication areas, Ms. Johnson said.þþÿOur members were installing the D.S.L. lines, but the company had outsourced the customer service jobs,ÿ she said. þþÿNow our members can have those jobs,ÿ Ms. Johnson said. ÿWe were missing opportunities for key high-tech jobs. Telecom keeps changing.ÿþþThe agreement, which must be ratified by the union's members, includes a ÿhealth care solution that enables BellSouth to continue to provide high quality, affordable health care,ÿ the union said in a statement. It did not provide details.þþþþ
Source: NY Times
