I was told to check out thelayoff.com by an EWA in the garage to get some laughs, and I was certainly not disappointed. I am not going to pretend that I know when the union strike is ending. This is what I know to be true:
I am a contractor, former Qwest out of the industry for 18 months after 11 yrs in the industry. I have never been arrested in my life and have an impeccable work record but was laid off due to CenturyLink consolidation when I decided not to relocate perminently whrn they close my local garage. I have a 90 day contract, guaranteed pay regardless of the strike ending. I'm working thru the weekend and on Memorial day because my time and a half is less than the EWA. I am making great money compared to anything I've found since being laid off, staying a hotel that costs $426/night, and getting $127 per diem on top of it. My training group has been deployed, and there were more showing up every day, and everyone I talked to had prior experience in the field and/or central office. There are scores more in the pipeline, with contracts signed before day one of training, all guaranteed contracts. During the interviews we were all told that after the 90 day probation if work was up to par we would likely be extended with new contracts.
Either the strike is going to end and we are going to continue to work through our contracts, it ends and they pay out our contracts, or the strike just continues and we keep extending our contracts. Those are the only scenarios. Signed contracts are binding. I'm fine with any of the outcomes.
Maybe it ends and union comes back for holiday pay. Maybe it ends June 1. Maybe they come back for July 4 holiday pay. My contract doesn't care. The EWA in the garage want the upcoming holiday pay but will likely be getting rotated out before too long as those of us with experience replace them. They aren't equipped to do the job and have no intention of doing it long term. I think the company knows that and does not intend to have them here much longer.
The union members have opinions but they aren't making decisions; same for the EWA people. The company signed my contract, and they will decide the path they want to take with reads to the contract they entered into with me. That's what I know.