The first and the most important role is to work as the go-between for member employees and their employers to negotiate for better pay and good working conditions. The union is also the force that ensures that the wage levels of their members are protected according to qualifications, experience and job group. Issues like working hours are also taken care of by the association to ensure that no employee is exploited.

Also provided by the union is relevant advice and information to all the members. Not all employees have the necessary information regarding their position in the place of work. What the labor union does is to hear the various grievances that its members may be having and give out the best advice.

Another key role played by this union is to defend the rights of its member employees. In most organizations, whether large or small, it is not uncommon for employees to clash with their employers. This can happen through various forms of harassment and misuse of offices by managers. The best way to sort these grievances out is to call upon the union to mediate and fight for what it believes rightfully belongs to the employees.

Conflicts are inevitable between an employer and his employees and if left unchecked, pressures can build on the insides and end up in fights. The role of the union here is simple: manage such conflicts. All that is needed is the pained member employees to report the matter to the umbrella body for it to intervene. The employer is sat down by the union representative in a forum to seek peace.

There are some benefits that an employee can only get if they are a member of a union. Things like discounted shopping in particular stores plus holiday schemes are only available to such members. This key role played by the union helps families bond when they go on holidays, save money when shopping and also get insurance and pension schemes.

There are many laws that need passing to make the employment safe and worthwhile. The bodies that are responsible for passing them need constant prodding; they require someone to be on their heels all the time. That is where the union comes in. Any legislation that affects their members one way or the other is at the heart of the labor union and they are more than willing to work towards its realization.

The last but not least duty carried out by the Communications Workers of America union is to summon for strikes when the need arises. Members can at times be aggrieved by employers who may not be willing to give in to their demands. The only option available to them then is to take industrial action.

With its corporate headquarters in Monroe, Louisiana, CenturyLink is telecommunications firm which also specializes in the provision of broadband internet services. Initially, the company was started with the name Central Telephone and Electronics Corporation. The company went through a number of name changes and among the names which the company has had are the Century Telephone Enterprises and CenturyTel, Inc.

The organization is among the highly rated internet and telecommunications companies in the US. It is also the third biggest communication company considering the number of lines which it is serving. Its specialization is in long distance telecommunication services, which analysts state that the organization has been able to position itself well.

The company has many employees who have representations in major labor unions in America. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union and the Union of Communication Workers in America are the two major unions which take care of the welfare of the employees. Although there were many acquisitions that were done by the business, its acquisition of Qwest, a top US company enabled it leverage its risks.

Since its inception, the organization has undergone numerous changes. The business has gone through many phases of growth. It was able to survive economic shocks that saw many communications companies go under due to solvency problems. Also, with time, the corporate headquarters of the firm was moved to an area that is near the airport so as to make it easier for it to attract many qualified employees.

This is a move that many would think as normal, but it helped the telecommunications company become the preferred choice of many job seekers. Another company that was acquired by CenturyLink is the Central Telephone Company of Ohio. This acquisition enabled the company to have an additional sixty thousand access lines which served many areas in Ohio and its environs. This represented a 20 percent addition to the total number of communication lines managed by the business.

Another important acquisition which was done by the firm is that of Monroe, a Louisiana based security Systems Company. The main reason for this acquisition was to ensure that the equity holders were given the highest possible value for the money which they have invested in shares of this particular organization.Also, 89,000 access lines were acquired from Ameritech which specialized in directory publications and among other things. These series of well planed acquisitions placed the business in a good footing. Also, the organization bought thousands of GTE lines in Arkansas.

As years moved by, the firm split its shares at the ration of three for four. This split of shares did not just occur once, but severally. This made it easier for the business to raise money through trading its shares at the stock and commodities exchange markets. The splits made the shares affordable to many people who wished to invest their cash in them.

CenturyLink is ranked highly by the Customer Respect Group, an international research organization. The diversified services which the firm offers covers areas such as home security, voice communications and many more. Its long haul and short term communications are affected through a number of technologies.