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CWA Rejects
Flawed 'Team Bonus' Plan
CWA Vice President, Jimmy Gurganus outlines
the problems with Alltel's "Team Bonus" plan in the
following letter.
May 17, 2005
To: Alltel CWA Local Presidents
Subject: Alltel 2005 Team Bonus Program
Dear Colleagues:
This letter is a follow-up to our conference call on May 5th. On the call, we discussed the Alltel Team Bonus Program.
This first knowledge I had of this program was the result of a letter I
received dated April 18, 2005. This letter informed me that the plan was going to be implemented and general announcements were to be made April 22, 2005. Upon
receipt of this letter, I immediately contacted the author, Kathy Warn, to object to the program being implemented without negotiations with CWA since it is a mandatory subject for bargaining.
The program has several problems which I feel must be corrected before it could be implemented. The problems are as follows:
The plan document gives Alltel the right to cancel the program at any time it desires.
Anyone who leaves Alltel (even retirees) before the bonus date receives nothing even though they earned the bonus.
The objectives set by Alltel can be changed at will by the company.
The objectives are arbitrary in that the Company benefits from any improvements, but the employees
receive nothing unless the objectives are met.
An employee in the discipline process or charged with an ethics violation would
receive nothing even if such actions were found to be improper by the company.
I have raised these issues with the Company to get changes which would make the bonus program beneficial to the employees as well as Alltel. We will not be a party to an agreement which has the potential of only
benefiting Alltel and taking advantage of the employees.
True long term success for Alltel lies in its executives realizing their absolute best asset is the good will of their employees. Any program such as this betrays that good will and can only lead to a negative impact on the Company.
I would hope this letter explains why we will not be a party to this bonus program. We remain open to further discussions with Alltel to correct the problems I have outlined. I hope our members will let Alltel know why they support our position.
In Unity,
Jimmy Gurganus, Vice President
CWA Telecommunications
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