 Although the two sides had been negotiating since February, they hadn't been able to reach agreement on health and job security issues before the contracts between the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and SBC expired during the first week of April. After three months Visit Vault at www.vault.com for insider company profiles, expert advice, VAULT CAREER career message boards, expert resume reviews, the Vault Job Board and more. LIBRARY Vault Guide to the Top Telecom Employers SBC Communications Inc. of negotiations, SBC negotiated a new five-year contract on May 25, 2004, covering the 100,000 CWA members at SBC. The agreement replaced the three-year contract that had expired the month before. As part of the labor negotiations, SBC and CWA agreed on an average base wage increase of 2.3 percent per year for the life of the contract; no monthly contributions would be required for healthcare costs; current CWA-represented employees would be guaranteed a job offer should their existing job be phased out. Also per the agreement, CWA-represented employees will be considered first for new jobs related to traditional telephone technologies; positions related to emerging technologies will be also be open to CWA-represented employees, but will be filled on a competitive basis. According to SBC, under the agreement, when combined with changes in the retiree benefits plan, the company will save an estimated $2 billion during the contract's five-year period. GETTING HIRED Hiring process SBC's recruitment web page, located at www.sbc.com/Career/Home.html, lists current job openings and encourages applicants to submit their resumes via regular mail. Applicants interested in specific, listed positions should include the "job numbers." Most of SBC's corporate staffing is filled through the San Antonio headquarters, even though positions may be located elsewhere. Commitment to diversity SBC's workforce diversity goal was established in accordance with the general customer base of the company's 13-state territory, which, acco