Alliance Update - January 2004

January 9, 2004

It has been quite some time since we posted an Alliance update. A lot has happened since then.

• We experienced reduced funding as a result of Lucent bargaining, but our AT&T funding was retained with the extension of that contract agreement. Our funding at Avaya also held steady.

• We lost about 80% of our funding when the Optical Fiber Solutions agreements were renegotiated.

• We have finished providing services to the Tyco employees who lost their jobs at the Texas Plant when it shut down.

• We are no longer providing services under an agreement with A+ Solectron.

The last half of 2003 was a period of readjustment and reconciliation between the Alliance and the CWA Staff Union. As you know, the Trustees held a special board meeting and asked both parties to work on alternatives to staff reduction here at the Alliance.

What we have accomplished together to date:

• We had a voluntary offer resulting in 7 of our staff electing to leave the Alliance.

• We have established a program, called the Alliance Business Opportunities Program, whereby former employees, current Alliance employees, and others never employed by the Alliance can earn referral fees for giving us leads that turn into new business. If any of you are interested in knowing more about this program, please give me a call at 301-577-1900 or drop me an email at dtreinen@employeegrowth.com.

• We have established a 4-person oversight committee to lead an effort known as “Alliance Plan for the Future”. Myself, John Alperti, Bill McKelligan and Karen Richards staff this committee.

• We have also established a working group of 4 Alliance managers and 6 Bargained-for staff to work in several areas. Their goal is to develop a set of recommendations on how we can effectively and efficiently modify, delete or develop new programs to serve the Alliance participant base. Our goal is to accomplish this work by enhancing services while protecting Alliance jobs. Our target date for the completion of the initial phase of this work is March 1, 2004. This group will reach out to Alliance staff, and others, seeking input for their work.

We especially thank the Board of Trustees for their commitment to allow us the time to work together without having to concern ourselves with substantial cost reductions – which would probably have negative effects on staffing, and services to our participants.

As our CWA Staff Union partners recently said, “We feel 2004 will be a very good year” for the Alliance. We could not agree more!

In the very near future you can expect to see our new Annual Report, and it will show that we exceeded all the goals set out by the Trustees a year ago. You will also see a great deal of testimonial comments from union leadership, company leadership, and our participants. It will also include the results of a quality survey of participants placing the value of Alliance services very high.

Following the release of the Annual Report, our next issue of our Awareness Magazine will be coming to you. It will have appropriate updates and will be an excellent marketing and information package for your use, as well as for your members eligible for our services.

Everyone here at the Alliance wish each of you and yours the very best of 2004.

Don Treinen
Co-Executive Director
The Alliance