10/10/2025
AVAYA
Avaya abruptly informed us, via e-mail, of their decision to lay off all hourly
employees in the U.S. Service Desk and Dispatch functions, as well as all hourly employees in
the U.S. Billing and Collections department, effective December 8, 2025. Affected employees
will be notified throughout today. This sudden notice blatantly disregards the established
protocol in Article 33 (Force Adjustment - Layoff, Part-Timing, and Recall) and Article 27
(Avaya Career Transition Option Program) of our Collective Bargaining Agreement, which
requires written notification of surplus conditions and a 60-day advance notice of any proposed
layoff plan to allow for voluntary resolutions and bargaining.
Avaya claims this is part of an internal restructuring to streamline global operations, reducing
their service desk locations from eight to four and eliminating the U.S. based Service Desk,
Dispatch, and Billing and Collections functions entirely. They state these roles will no longer be
handled in the U.S. or internally, citing goals of improved functionality, efficiency, and customer
experience. We view this as a shortsighted move that dismisses the livelihoods of our dedicated
members and the critical value they bring to the Company. Moreover, by laying off the entire
group without first offering voluntary options under Article 27, Avaya has rendered such
“volunteer” programs moot in practice, bypassing opportunities to mitigate impacts through
buyouts, leaves, or other alternatives.
In response, CWA is taking immediate action. We are engaging Avaya’s labor relations team to
demand accountability for both the layoffs and their failure to adhere to our agreed-upon
notification process, including the option for voluntary programs to avoid or soften total layoffs.
Vice President Lisa Bolton and all available CWA resources are being mobilized to ensure our
members’ rights are fiercely protected under the collective bargaining agreement. We are
scrutinizing eligibility for Termination Payments (Article 34), severance benefits, and any recall
or transition support provisions, and we will explore every possible avenue to challenge and
mitigate the impact of this decision.
All impacted CWA represented employees are eligible for Termination Payments, subject to the
terms of the collective bargaining agreement, and we will hold Avaya to their obligations. If your
local has affected members, please compile and share relevant details immediately to ensure a
coordinated and robust response.
We stand united in defending our members’ rights. Thank you for your commitment as we fight
to protect our workers and hold Avaya accountable.
