SBC, UNION EXTEND TALKS.Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer An impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. strike deadline was extended Friday after SBC (1) (SBC Communications Inc., San Antonio, TX, www.sbc.com) A large, national telecommunications company that grew from a multitude of local and regional companies, including Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell and Nevada Bell, into a single, unified brand by 2002. Communications Inc. and the Communications Workers of America Communications Workers of America (CWA) is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States (the union also has locals in Canada), representing over 700,000 workers in both the private and public sectors. agreed to discuss contract differences early next week. More than 30,000 SBC employees were poised to strike in California and Nevada at midnight Friday after the expiration of a monthlong contract extension. But union leaders and SBC executives reached an agreement Friday afternoon to avoid a work stoppage stoppage - /sto'p*j/ Extreme lossage that renders something (usually something vital) completely unusable. "The recent system stoppage was caused by a fried transformer." and continue discussions Monday. ``We consider this news very promising and expect to be able to reach an agreement without a work stoppage,'' said Walt Sharp, spokesman for San Antonio San Antonio (săn ăntō`nēō, əntōn`), city (1990 pop. 935,933), seat of Bexar co., S central Tex., at the source of the San Antonio River; inc. 1837. , Texas-based SBC. ``We know these negotiations are difficult. It's a difficult time for the industry and for issues like health care.'' The recently concluded grocery workers strike continues to weigh heavy on the minds of union leaders, especially those who represent SBC employees. Many workers are also insecure about the future of their jobs as technology and outsourcing greatly reduce domestic staffing levels. Robert Eveler, a strike coordinator and SBC systems technician in Van Nuys, said most employees just want to maintain their health benefits and know their jobs are stable. ``But the new technology is creating lower paying, non-union jobs and there has been a change in the industry with technical support going overseas to India,'' Eveler said. `'Of course, we want to keep those jobs for our people in this country.'' SBC and the CWA CWA Clean Water Act (33 USC) CWA Communications Workers of America CWA Concerned Women for America CWA CEN Workshop Agreement (European pre-normative document) CWA County Warning Area CWA Clean Water Action have been meeting for several weeks after a three-year contract - affecting 100,000 SBC employees nationwide - expired April 1. Union leaders notified SBC that workers would strike at midnight May 7 if a new contract did not meet their needs. ``I am very pleased that we have decided to go beyond the deadline,'' Peter J. Hurtgen, who is mediating the negotiations, said in a statement. ``This is a strong indication of the good faith being shown by both sides in the process.'' Unlike in the grocery workers strike, consumers would not immediately notice a work stoppage at SBC. Though the company is responsible for most of the telephone and DSL connections DSL connection n (Comput) → DSL-Anschluss m throughout Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Eveler said many of these services are automated unless actual technicians are needed. ``Fortunately, for the consumer, the weather is good right now,'' he said. Evan Pondel, (818) 713-3662 evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Communication workers picket outside SBC offices on Van Nuys Boulevard in Van Nuys on Friday. John McCoy/Staff Photographer |
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