The Ky. PSC rejected union claims that a March layoff by Windstre...
The Ky. PSC rejected union claims that a March layoff by Windstream Communications broke a promise that the company would make no merger-related layoffs. Windstream was formed in May 2006 by the merger of the landline operations of Alltel…
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and Valor Communications. The CWA and IBEW claimed the layoff violated a no-layoff pledge on which the PSC conditioned its merger approval. The state Attorney Gen. Office backed the unions. Windstream said the layoffs weren’t related to the merger, adding that the unions misread its promise as a broad pledge ever to lay off workers for any reason. Windstream also noted the PSC rejected an explicit employment freeze as a merger condition. The PSC said the final merger approval order didn’t require maintenance of specific employment levels for set periods, so Windstream didn’t violate the approval’s terms. It said the layoff might tarnish Windstream’s image with Ky. customers, but that’s up to customers.