Due to AT&T’s recent buyout offer, here is a Q and A that we hope you will find helpful. We are still compiling questions and answers, and will provide more information as we receive it.
We are awaiting official answers on questions specific to the Premises Technician title buyout offer. We will keep you posted on what we find.
CWA Local 9003 has questions regarding the 2020 Voluntary ESRO movement that is being canvassed by the Company for AFO Splicers:
Company responses are in RED.
1. Is the canvass rolled out by the Company on 7/21/2020 for a show of interest? Or are the submissions irrevocable as the form states?
The choice to move to another organization (and Preference order – 1 to 5) is irrevocable. But the job offer is revocable.
2. If a Splicing Tech takes the FA job will they be pay protected? If so how long?
The Company is going to verify that if a employee is awarded the FA position they will be placed as a Comm tech and thus receive wage scale 12 pay treatment.
3. What are the locations for each of these possible positions?
Unknown at this time. But matches will be placed within the same CHQ.
4. Why were these locations not advertised prior to the canvass?
Because the Company has not been able to identify them.
5. Will the time for submissions be extended once the locations are determined?
No.
6. If available/determined location(s) are deemed undesirable, will the request be revocable?
The Job offer is revocable.
7. If there are no positions available within their own CHQ, will the offer be extend to another CHQ if the desired results are not reached in a CHQ other than their own and there are unfulfilled request to take a spot in another CHQ other than their own?
No. The offers will be within the same CHQ.
8. If an employee has previously been loaned to Specials for 6 months, does this exempt them from having to pass the TKTII test?
No.
9. Will Mini transfers be considered prior to placement, identification, and movement, from the canvass?
No. There needs to be an official requisition in AUTS for a Mini transfer to be worked.
10. What happens to the Mini transfers on file?
They will stand as is.
11. Will location preside over seniority?
This will need to be discussed with the receiving organization in an Article 2.
12. Are there retreat rights?
No.
13. Once an employee has been Identified/Placed into a location, can they be bumped to another location during force balancing?
This will need to be discussed with the receiving organization in an Article 2.
14. What are the tour’s (start time) of each of the positions?
Unknown.
15. If you volunteer and choose 1 of the 5 positions and you do not get that position, will you be forced into one of the other positions that you do not select?
No.
16. If a match fails the TKTII test, will the offer be moved to the next match and so on?
Yes.
17. Were packages overnight-ed to employees who are off on DB, sick, vacation, leave, etc…?
Employees who had a return to work date were provided the information.
18. Were employees excluded from participating in the back-fill round(s) due to not having a return to work date (ex from DB or a LOA)?
Yes. According to Past Practice.
19. Before there is movement by the AFO Splicers, will the other organizations (C&E/DEG, Systems Techs, Comm Techs) true up from within their organizations?
C&E = No; DEG = Pending further discussion; Comm Techs and FA’s = pending further discussion on number of positions identified; Specials = Pending further discussion on number of positions identified.
20. Will 1st choices be matched down the line prior to going to 2nd through 5th?
The Company is going to verify with Labor and get back to us prior to implementation.
21. If a match is placed, will time-in- title and time-in-location be waived for future movement?
The Company will check with Labor and get back to us.
22. The C&E Splicers and DEG Splicers are in separate Presidential entities and will not true up together within CHQ prior to a AFO Splicer back-fill as was done before.
23. The first offer for replacement goes to the Splicing title (C&E and DEG).