Qwest
Qwest
Date: Sunday, May 19, 2002 10:25 AM
*** H-1B NEWSLETTER ***
Get the Facts on H-1B at
www.ZaZona.com
Qwest communications is in some trouble concerning their H-1B hiring
practices.
In the 4/22/2002 newsletter I talked about the struggle that the union
Communication Workers of America are fighting against H-1B at AT&T.
Workers
at Qwest are also in the CWA but at this time I don't know if union
members
are directly affected by the H-1Bs mentioned below.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_1153640
,00.html
Rocky Mountain News
Qwest sued over hiring, retirement fund moves
By Jeff Smith, News Staff Writer
May 18, 2002
Qwest Communications may have improperly transferred $98 million out of
its
pension fund last December and has engaged in illegal hiring practices,
an
amended lawsuit filed Friday alleges.
A Qwest spokesman said the allegations, filed in U.S. District Court in
Denver, are without merit.
Also Friday, Bloomberg News reported that Qwest wants $1 billion up
front
for its QwestDex directory business, raising questions about whether the
Denver telco needs the cash to avoid a possible loan default late this
year.
Qwest declined to comment.
The class-action lawsuit was filed last month by former managers who
claim
Qwest illegally terminated them in order to avoid more than $100 million
in
pension and retiree health care benefits.
Friday's amended claim questioned whether Qwest met the legal
requirements
to transfer $98 million from the pension fund into operating expenses.
The claim asks that Qwest's pension fund be audited and questions
whether
Qwest can ensure the plan's viability. The plan's surplus dwindled from
$4.1
billion as of Dec. 31, 2000, to $1.5 billion by Dec. 31, 2001.
"We're asking for an audit because there's so many concerned about the
solvency of the pension plan and the ability of Qwest to take care of
it,"
said Curtis Kennedy, the Denver attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf
of
the Qwest managers.
Steve Hammack, a Qwest spokesman, said Friday an audit isn't necessary
because "we properly transferred money from the pension plan's general
account to pay for retiree health care."
The amended lawsuit also alleges that Qwest's information technology
department engaged in illegal hiring practices.
The suit cites Qwest's new IT director, Al-Noor Ramji, as hiring friends
and
former co-workers, and alleges that foreign nationals were brought in
"long
before the workers even applied for a work visa."'
Qwest denied the allegations.
Copyright 2002, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
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