Most of my coworkers would volunteer to be laid off if offered the opportunity. We want the Voluntary Termination Package per our CWA/Leg T contract as most of us want to just move on. Of course most of us won't just leave until the company pays us to leave. The next VTP announcement date is December 15th and most of us are counting the days down hoping and praying for our jobs to be declared surplus. We all know sooner or later we'll be laid off and most of us would prefer that to happen sooner rather than later.
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There have been multiple offers in the last two years. In ‘Minnesota, 18 leg T reps in teleconference took it in May. It is not open to all titles but it has happened.
There were no surpluses in June or September in the Legacy T contract; I suspect that is because of the watermark in the contract. You may be waiting until at least April 2026, when the contract expires.
one more month and we'll be singing the 10 days of christmas - vtp payout for 2 years!
The OP and friends in her work group are lol at the poster who wrote "Oh goody.. " because many of our friends/co-workers HAVE gotten the VTP - some as recently as TWO months ago today! Again, we get a kick out of the uninformed writers on here who know absolutely nothing about what theyre saying.
We're simply hoping and praying it will be our turn to get the VTP on December 15th so we can enjoy 109 weeks pay - and then start the pension and 401k distributions - thanks to our CWA Union.
Oh goody, this again. Can't wait for more posts about the "inevitability" of getting 2 years paid out to leave. See ya on December 16th. And March 16th, and June 16th, and September 16th, etc, etc, etc.......
Every day we see more pieces, parts, tasks and functions of our work being automated or offshored - so we all know we'll be laid off sooner or later. Many if not most of us WANT to be surplussed so we can get the package.
Peace out
VTP will not be offered in the west or southwest since T is growing the business in those regions. So, don’t expect any package to be offered in those areas
“This again?
How many times are we going to “it’s coming”?
It’s not! They will keep you on payroll until you either strike or a new contract gets rid of that package. Just remember when your local decides to walk you may not be coming back.”
“Oh No! The company is going to bust the Union this time. Just like the time before that and the time before that and the multiple times before. The next time it's going to be different....”
…kinda like “If it wasn’t for the U we”d be paying on our healthcare.”
20+ years of going backwards contracts(and that’s when times were good at the phone factory). Now they don’t need over half of us, so yes, the original commenter is correct, if we’re stupid enough to walk out, don’t be surprised if they lock the door behind us.
The number of weeks termination pay is the same for voluntary and Involuntary termination under the CWA/Leg T contract.
Your feelings do not matter. If you are sulpussed in the CWA South West, one receives and Voluntary Severance package. If by chance you are tapped to leave involuntarily, you get an additional amount of money to leave. It's pretty nice.
I'm sorry non bargained have not this option.
Don't say there haven't been any offers in two decades because that is a patently false statement. VTPs were offered in the southwest in 2017 and there was a tech that took the offer. I repeat, in 2017, there was a VTP offered!
This again?
How many times are we going to “it’s coming”?
It’s not! They will keep you on payroll until you either strike or a new contract gets rid of that package. Just remember when your local decides to walk you may not be coming back.
Oh No! The company is going to bust the Union this time. Just like the time before that and the time before that and the multiple times before. The next time it's going to be different....
OP is not a tech.
Only article 41 get 2yrs
They don’t like to give VTP. Legacy T techs that are 70 years old and still waiting for this
The negative commenters on here are entertaining. They don't know about all the thousands of Leg T workers who've been paid termination packages and how it's a fact that more get it every three months. The OP is simply hoping that she gets it soon too. VTP naysayers have their opinions just as do beer drinking football fans in a sports bar, and they're equally funny. Fact is that some CWA workers get the package almost every quarter. The OP and most in her work group think it's going to happen December 15th or March 15th.
Hired on in 77…..took the volunteer in 2018…41 yrs = 239k plus 6 months unemployment…scoreboard
This again?
How many times are we going to “it’s coming”?
It’s not! They will keep you on payroll until you either strike or a new contract gets rid of that package. Just remember when your local decides to walk you may not be coming back.
Some context:
CWA District 6 has a similar contract item and is known as a VSP. ( Voluntary Severence Package )
Whereas those who are interested in leaving the company notifies HR and your name gets placed on a list. This list is based on seniority so those with more years of service who are on this list have priority over those with fewer years of service.
Basically, if someone gets surplussed, they are given the option to move into a job where someone has an active VSP in place. If they agree and the person who put the VSP request in also agrees, then the one who has been surplussed still has a job within the company and the one interested in leaving gets a severence payment based on an algorithm. ( Years of service and Pension Band are the main variables here )
So a Communications Technician with thirty years of service would end up with ~46k severence payment ( minus taxes and any Union Dues if applicable )
It isn't a crazy amount of money, but if you were interested in leaving anyway, it helps.
As the OP referenced: VTP deniers know nothing of what they're talking about. This post is specifically about VTP in the CWA/Leg T contract only and not all workers under this contract are technicians. Those of us with over 31 years get 104 weeks pay plus unused vacation. So if I get it December 15th, for example, I'm "off the payroll" of my org January 15th and I'll get paid 109 weeks pay. That pay is paid from a different bucket of money - not from the org's budget, hence the org has incentives to get rid of we oldtimers. Some workers do indeed get VTP almost every quarter - last time only two months ago. My original post simply said there's many of us hoping and praying to get laid off soon. Those with negative comments may have opinions about this however they lack knowledge of the facts.
If they made a contract compliant buyout offer open to all employees, there would be no one left except the C suite.
There will be no offers, and there haven’t been in two decades. I work with a bunch of Leg T whiners that ask the same thing every quarter knowing they’re not going to get it. Even if the company did offer it, those same whiners would come up with a reason not to take it.
They'll just wait until your contract is up and your "union" will negotiate the terms of surrender.
"Some may seem dilutional"
Some people seem like they can become liquids?
When I was stationed overseas and they wanted to get rid of local workers they would just give then a 'no-job' (pay them to sit around in a building) because it was cheaper to pay them till they quit than pay the exorbitant 'let-go' money.
OP nailed it. "VTP deniers" = haters. $$ gonna flow on 12/15.
Some may seem dilutional when you don't share the same dreams or you simply don't know the facts and situation going on for others, personally or in their org. VTP deniers on this forum most likely don't have a job title where it's possible for them to get the VTP and they're jealous or envious of someone else getting two years pay for leaving (in addition to a pension, 401k and benefits) or they're applying logic - which doesn't go with corporate behavior.
For the contracts that guarantee 2 years pay, I would let folks sit in a storeroom or empty office space for 2 years and see how much natural attrition takes place first.
its not 2 years. its 90 weeks with 30 years of service. less if you have less service. sipp is 79 weeks with 30.
Waiting for that 2 years pay
Not all technicians receive the 2 years severance pay! You have to look at your contract and make certain that you'll receive 2 years before you volunteer!
The biggest obstacle is your first and second line supervisors. If they let you leave, they either lose their jobs or the work won’t get done. They don’t have the skills to oversee 3rd party contractors.
My understanding from the VP is VTP is not a good deal for the company. 2 years pay.