> From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fri Jan 10 06:29 PST 1997 > Date: 10 Jan 97 09:27:33 EST > From: "Eduardo E. Diaz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Sid Shniad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Sprint La Conexion Familiar > > CWA News Release > > For More Information: > Jeff Miller, CWA Communications Dept, 202/434-1168 > Candice Johnson, CWA Communications Dept, 202/434-1347 > December 30, 1996 > > SPRINT CORP. ORDERED TO REHIRE AND PAY BACK WAGES TO 177 LATINO > TELEMARKETERS FIRED IN 1994 FOR UNION ORGANIZING > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > LABOR BOARD PANEL IN WASHINGTON BACKS CWA APPEAL OVER SHUTDOWN OF > SPRINT/LA CONEXION FAMILIAR IN SAN FRANCISCO > > WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) upheld an > appeal by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and ruled that the > Sprint Corp. must rehire and pay full back wage and benefit compensation > to 177 workers, mostly Hispanic women, whose San Francisco telemarketing > office was shut down during a union organizing drive in July of 1994. > > A 3-member NLRB panel "amended" an earlier decision by an administrative > law judge and stated that Sprint's sudden closing of the marketing > office, known as La Conexion Familiar, just one week before a scheduled > union election was a violation of federal labor law. > > The NLRB panel rejected Sprint's contention that it closed the facility > because it was losing money, citing falsification of documents by a > Sprint vice president to create a "paper trail" making it look like the > Sprint board was more concerned about LCF's financial situation than it > actually was. > > In the earlier court case in late 1994, NLRB investigators in San > Francisco charged Sprint with more than 50 labor law violations > including intimidating and spying on union activists and threatening > that Sprint would close the office if workers voted for union > representation. > > Sprint admitted to the anti-union activity of Sprint/LCF managers but > claimed the actual shutdown was a financial decision. The administrative > law judge, in a ruling handed down August 30, 1995, declined to provide > a remedy for the workers even though he noted that he had never seen so > many labor law violations stipulated in such a case. > > The NLRB decision announced today requires Sprint to rehire the La > Conexion workers and give them "a position in its existing operations > that is substantially equivalent to the employees' former position." > Sprint must provide "appropriate moving expenses" and pay them > compensation for wages and benefits, plus interest, from the date of the > closing to the date they are rehired. > > Further, "because of (Sprint's) widespread misconduct, demonstrating a > general disregard for the employees' fundamental rights," the NLRB panel > issued a broad order for Sprint to cease and desist from "threatening > employees with the closure of any of its facilities if the union comes > in," as well as from coercing, interrogating and spying on workers for > union activity. > > Sprint's long distance operation is completely non-union, and the > corporation gives each of its managers a "Sprint Union Free Management > Guide" which makes clear that a manager has no greater responsibility > than to keep workers from unionizing. > > CWA President Morton Bahr stated: "Sprint's brutal treatment of the La > Conexion Familiar workers was the worst case of union-busting and human > rights abuse that we have seen in telecommunications and among the worst > in any industry for that matter. This decision belatedly brings a > measure of justice to these workers, and we would hope that Sprint will > comply with the NLRB order and turn the page on this ugly chapter in its > corporate history." > > The NLRB panel included Chairman William B. Gould IV and board members > Margaret A. Browning and Sarah M. Fox. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > The Communications Workers of America represents more than 600,000 > workers in telecommunications, broadcasting and cable TV, journalism and > publishing, and the public service sector. > >
