Verizon Contract Ratified

Washington, D.C. — Members of the Communications Workers of America at Verizon Communications ratified a four-year agreement covering about 35,000 CWA represented workers from Virginia to New England. Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers also voted to ratify a four-year agreement. IBEW represents about 10,000 Verizon workers.

Contract highlights include an 8.2 percent compounded wage increase over the next three years, and additional cash payments.  Also on ratification, CWA members who were fired by Verizon during the August 2011 strike will return to work.

Representing members in New York, New Jersey and New England, CWA District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton said: “This contract ensures that every one of our members will see an improvement in their standard of living. It was a tough fight, and we turned back efforts by the company to gut our contracts. Now, we’ll keep up the fight to expand good jobs for Verizon workers.”

CWA District 2-13 Vice President Ed Mooney, who represents Verizon workers in the mid-Atlantic states, said: “The unity and determination of CWA and the IBEW over 16 months of bargaining, and the support of our allies, made this contract possible.  Our goal now is to make certain that CWA members continue to be a key part of this company’s future.”

The contract had expired in August 2011. A two-week strike, an active member mobilization and support campaign by progressive allies, and final intensive negotiations under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service brought about this settlement. The new contract expires August 2015.

Source: CWA District 1

Your Vote Is Your Voice

Contract explanation Meeting 10-02-12. Click on photo to view gallery.

By now you have heard the pros and cons concerning the Verizon contract ratification vote. It is now up to you to make an educated decision (documents below). Please make sure that you fill out your ballot and mail it in before October 17th. This is your vote and your decision.

Ballots to vote on the proposed Tentative Agreement were mailed to Local 1101 members on Thursday, October 4th. If you have not received a ballot by Tuesday, October 9th call the AAA at 1-800-529-5218. Ballots must be received by October 17th @ 9 am.

Tentative Agreement- Supporting Documents

VP Chris Shelton’s Message To VZ Membership

Summary of Changes – Revisited Local 1101

Message from Keith Purce, President 1101

Your Vote Is Your Voice – Make It Count!

Voting Quotes

To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.

Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half.

“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

VZ Final Bargaining Summary – Supporting Documents

On September 19, the CWA Regional Bargaining Team reached a tentative agreement with Verizon.

It is now up to us, the Members, to accept or reject the offer. Please read the documents below and attend one of the contract interpretation meetings.  You’ll then have all the information needed to make an informed decision regarding your contract ratification vote.

Contract Documents:

Agreement Regarding Strike Discipline

2012 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Summary of Changes in the Tentative Agreement From Local 1101

Final Bargaining Report – Summary of Tenatative Agreement -9-20-12

Verizon First Proposal 6/23/11 compared to Tentative Agreement (TA)

Additional Tentative Agreement Documents, added October 1, 2012

HC MEP PPO – Company’s First Proposal (June 29, 2011) compared to TA Plan ( Sept. 19, 2012)

HC MEP PPO – Current Plan Compared to Plan in MOU – Tenatative Agreement

HCN Plan – Current Plan Compared to Plan in MOU – Tentative Agreement

NYNE Prescription Drug Plan – Current Rx Plan Compared to Rx Plan in the MOU – Tentative Agreement

May 7, 2012 Bargaining Report

New York Plant and TRG New Provisions Summary

Contract Interpretation Meetings:

Local 1101

Manhattan: Fashion Institute of Technology on Tuesday, October 2nd at 5:30pm
Location: 227 W.27th Street Bet. 7th and 8th Avenue

Bronx: St. Raymond’s Church on Wednesday, October 3rd at 5:30 pm
Location: 2151 St. Raymond’s Ave.

Contract Ratification Vote:

The American Arbitration Association will conduct the vote for Local 1101. Members will receive their ballot by mail. The ballots will be mailed out on October 4th and are to be returned by October 17th. If you do not receive a ballot by October 9th, call the Local at 212-633-2666.

It’s Your Vote and Your Decision
Exercise Your Democratic Right
and Make Your Voice Heard… Vote!

Documents Source: CWA District 1 and Local 1101

CWA Reaches Tentative Agreement With Verizon

Regional Bargaining Report # 63 – September 19, 2012 3:15pm

We Stood Up!

New Contract with Verizon Defeats the Most Aggressive Attack Ever on the Living Standards of Our Members, Preserves Job and Retirement Security for 34,000

On September 19th, the CWA reached a tentative agreement with Verizon Communications that protects the job security and retirement security of our 34,000 members from Virginia to Massachusetts.

A new contract was also negotiated between Verizon Wireless and 70 CWA-represented technicians who maintain cell sites in the metropolitan New York area.

Our new contract was won only after a militant two-week strike in August, 2011, and an ensuing 13 month on-the-job membership contract campaign that mobilized tens of thousands of members. It also took the support of literally hundreds of our allies, in labor and community groups all across the country, who adopted our struggle as their own, leafleted Verizon Wireless stores, joined our picket lines and rallies, and pressured Verizon management however they could.

“Our members stood up to the most sweeping and intensive attack on our standard of living and bargaining rights in the history of the telecommunications industry,” said Chris Shelton, Vice President for CWA District One, which stretches from Maine to New Jersey. “The unity and determination of 34,000 CWA members since bargaining began in June, 2011 has produced a new agreement that preserves intact our members’ pension and job security, provides for a substantial wage increase, and preserves a high-quality health plan.

“The solidarity of CWA members and the support of our progressive allies made this contract happen,” said Ed Mooney, Vice President of CWA District 2-13, which covers CWA members from Pennsylvania to Virginia. “Verizon workers will keep their standard of living and the benefits and working conditions we’ve fought for over the years.”

The achievements of this contract fight can be seen just by going back to a list of what was on the table when bargaining began 15 months ago : a sweeping list of take-back demands that included

  • no guaranteed raises,
  • elimination of night and weekend differentials,
  • elimination of double time pay,
  • freezing of pension accruals and elimination of the pension cash-out option,
  • eliminating all job security provisions for all employees,
  • eliminating the movement of work protection and the 35 mile transfer provision,
  • slashing the Sickness and Accident Disability Plans in half,
  • eliminating the New Contracts Initiative,
  • totally gutting the medical plan with huge premiums, and unreasonable co-pays and deductibles, and
  • reducing sick time pay to 0-5 days depending on seniority.

Your determination and solidarity got us a contract that fully protects our members’ job and retirement security, including no-layoff provisions and movement of work limitations, preserves an extremely high-quality medical plan with modest increases in deductibles and co-pays and limited premium sharing, provides for an 8.2% compounded wage increase over the life of the agreement, with additional cash payments, and bringing hundreds of new jobs into the bargaining unit.

Highlights of the new agreement include:

Job Security Preserved:

Existing job security language, including a prohibition on layoffs, forced transfer or downgrade of workers hired before 2003 and the .7% restriction on the company’s ability to relocate work out of the region, were preserved intact.

Provisions of the contract which restrict the company’s right to reassign workers long distances from their homes (35-mile rule) have been preserved.

Retirement Security Preserved:

The existing defined benefit pension plan has been preserved for all current employees, including the lump sum cashout provisions.

8.2% Compounded Wage Increased Plus Other Compensation:

Wage increases of 2.25% effective the first Sunday after ratification, 2.75% effective August 4, 2013, and 3% effective August 3, 2014. This amounts to an 8.2% wage increase with compounding.

In addition, members will receive a $800 signing bonus 30 days after ratification of the new agreement.

There will be annual corporate profit-sharing payments of at least $700 per year.

New Bargaining Unit Jobs

Verizon will hire 300 new full-time call center employees during the life of the contract

Verizon New York will bring back into the bargaining unit certain underground cable placing work currently performed by contractors in upstate New York.

Medical Plan

CWA members at Verizon will continue to have access to the most comprehensive, lowest-cost health care plan in the industry.

The unions and Verizon negotiated revisions to the current health plan that require workers to make modest contributions toward the cost of health care premiums. For participants in the MEP and HCN, these payments will start at $60 per month for family coverage and $30 per month for individual coverage as of November 2012, and rise over the remaining years of the contract to $110 family and $55 individual per month at the conclusion of the four year contract.

For participants in the EPO, HMOs and other plans, payments will start at $45 individual and $90 family, and rise to $82.50 individual and $165 family by the end of the agreement. These rates are higher because there are no deductibles in these plans.

These premiums include a $100 credit for employees who participate in an on-line health care assessment survey.

Effective January 1, 2013, Verizon will contribute $850 to a tax-free Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) for current employees which can be used to offset increased out of pocket costs under the new health plan, and can be carried over from year to year at the employee’s discretion.

Any retiree who leaves service before January 1, 2013 will not be required to contribute to the cost of retiree medical care.

Employees who were hired after August 3, 2008 will see an increase in their retiree medical care accrual from $430 to $480 per year of service towards the coverage of the cost of health care.

Absence

Effective January, 2013, there will be changes to contract provisions covering paid absence days. Payment for incidental absence (personal illness or off-duty accidents) will be capped at 10 days.

Four incidental absence days per year shall not be subject to the Absence Control Plan.

Employees who use four or less absence days per year will be awarded a lump sum payment as follows:

  • Employees with perfect attendance will receive a lump sum payment of five days’ pay.
  • Employees who use less than two days will receive four days’ pay.
  • Employees who use less than 3 days will receive 3 days’ pay.
  • Employees who use less than 4 days will receive 2 days’ pay.
  • Employees who 4 days will receive 1 days’ pay.

According to company figures, in 2011, 76% of our members used fewer than 10 days of absence. 48% of our members would have received one of the incentive payments listed above, based on their absence record. 29% would have received a week’s pay.

Accident and Sickness Disability remains unchanged.

Additional Contract Provisions

Employees hired after ratification will be covered by a 401(k) retirement program that provides a 100% company match for any employee contributions up to 6% of salary. They will also receive an annual discretionary bonus of up to 3% of their salary added to their 401(k).

Contract provides continuing funding to the Work-Family Committee of $1.5 million per year ($6 million over the life of the contract).

The TTA/Next Step program will be phased out over the life of the agreement.

Any member currently enrolled in TTA/Next Step will be entitled to complete the program and retain that title and associated wages and benefits.

Tuition Assistance Program will be capped at $8,000 per year.

Workers Fired During 2011 Strike

Upon ratification, 25 of the 26 CWA members fired during the strike will be returned to work, with restoration of full Net Credited Service and pension benefits.

We are working on a settlement for one worker

There are changes in our health care that will result in premiums and plan design changes which will result in some increased out-of-pocket expenses. However, when wages and the company-funded tax-free Healthcare Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) are factored in, CWA members will be better off, financially, at the end of this round of bargaining than they were at the start.

We started this round of bargaining with the best contract in the telecommunications industry. Your bargaining team is convinced that despite the intense attacks from Verizon, we have negotiated a contract that remains the BEST in the telecommunications industry.

Source: CWA District 1

Tentative Agreement Outline

Meetings with the Executive Board.

Keith Purce, President Local 1101 – Tape, “The Executive Board will be going to every work site starting Monday explaining the new tentative agreement and the ratification process.”

CWA Bargaining Update

1105 Tape – September 19, 2012

Finally, I am able to advise members that as of 12pm today, CWA, IBEW NY, NE, NJ and Mid-Atlantic have reached a tentative agreement with Verizon on a new collective Bargaining Agreement. For 4 years terminating August 1, 2015.

The following is a brief outline contained in the new agreement.

WAGES: SIGNING BONUS of $800.00

2012 ——- 2.25 % (effective the Sunday after ratification)

8/2013—– 2.75%

8/2014—– 3.00%

PENSIONS: STATUS QUO

Lump Sum Remains

No capping at 30 years

MEDICAL: MEP-PPO / HCN

PREMIUM PAYMENTS: MONTHLY

SINGLE

2012 – $30.00

2013 – $45.00

2014 – $50.00

2015 – $55.00

FAMILY

2012 – $60.00

2013 – $90.00

2014 – $100.00

2015 – $110.00

HEALTH CARE REIMBURSTMENT ACCOUNT (HRA)

$850.000 to offset increases in deductible, co-pays, co-insurance and out of pocket maximums.

Deductibles now apply to out of pocket maximum.

EPO/HMO – Alternate Choice Medical

Premium is 1 ½ times the premium of the MEP-PPO / HCN

EPO is frozen for any new member

RETIREE MEDICAL

No premium payment for members who retire prior to 1/1/ 2013

Members who retire after 1/1/13 will pay same as actives.

Medicare eligible pays only 50% of premium.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Go to the two available schedules which are generic and single source

Must go mail order after 3rd refill

GENERIC————RETAIL————MAIL

2013————–DNP or $8.00……..DNP or $16.00

2014———— -DNP or $8.00……..DNP or $16.00

2015———— -DNP or $9.00……..DNP or $18.00

SINGLE SOURCE————RETAIL————MAIL

2013 ———————–30% DNP or $25———$30% DNP or $50.00

2014 ———————–30% DNP or $25———$30% DNP or $50.00

2015 ———————–30% DNP or $26.50——-$30% DNP or $53.00

OUT OF POCKET MAXIMUM; Increased

Applies only to mail order:

2013 -$600.00

2014 _ $700.00

2015- $742.00

LANGUAGE PROTECTED

JOB SECURITY

FAP

35 MILE RULE

0.7 MOW

CPS (guaranteed $700 minimum)

TAP (Capped at $8000.00 per year and eliminated for Medical & Aviation)

EWD DAYS

HOLIDAYS

DISABILITY (STD & LTD as well as Accident Disability)

WORK & FAMILY: $1.5 million per year, for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 totaling $6 Million.

CHANGES

Pay day moved to Friday

Elimination of the Next Step Program

Absence

10 days paid

4 days exempt from the ACP

An incentive for days not used.

½ Christmas Eve for those members who actually work on Christmas Eve.

Again this is a brief outline.

It’s been a long 15 months and now it will be up to the members to accept or reject this offer.

Bargaining Report # 64

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Bargaining continues in New York with the Federal Mediators. CWA, IBEW and Verizon are still under the Guidelines imposed by the Mediators which includes that no information can be released by either party concerning the progress of these negotiations.

CWA District 1 and IBEW New England as well as CWA District 2-13 and IBEW Local 827 have been meeting in New York since last week. Because of the agreed upon blackout, there is no news of progress or non-progress to report. Once we have information that can be released, we will announce it immediately.

Our members must continue to mobilize and we MUST let management know that we want a fair contract.

Bargaining Report # 63 – Friday, August 31, 2012

One Nation March 10-2-2010. Click on photo to view album.

Negotiations between Verizon and CWA and IBEW under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) have been going on for over a month, beginning on July 27th, and continuing through today. The parties have broken for the weekend, and will resume bargaining on Tuesday in New York.

All parties are continuing to abide by the mediator’s request for a blackout on the specific details of negotiations. However, we can report that significant, though painstaking, progress has been made on a number of major issues in the bargaining. A number of critical issues remain unresolved, and will be addressed when bargaining resumes.

Statement by FMCS Director George H. Cohen On Verizon-CWA-IBEW Labor Talks
Aug 31, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As of this date, the parties now have been engaged in intensive negotiations for five weeks under the auspices of myself and Director of Mediation Services John Pinto. As previously reported, progress continues to be made but a number of issues remain to be resolved. Pursuant to the mediators’ recommendation, the parties have agreed to continue their negotiations until concluded at an undisclosed location in New York.

Have a Safe and Happy Labor Day!

Verizon, CWA, IBEW Still Negotiating With Third Party

By Josh Long, Channel Partners
Wed, 29 Aug 2012
Verizon Communications continues to negotiate with the unions on a labor contract governing 45,000 workers with the help of federal mediators in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent federal government agency, has been seeking to help the parties reach an accord for a little over a month.

John Arnold, a spokesman for the agency, said Tuesday “negotiation and mediation are ongoing.

“Rich Young, a spokesman for Verizon, had little more to say about the negotiations. “Yes, we are still meeting with the unions under the auspices of the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service. That process continues,” he said.

Verizon is in contract negotiations with the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The unions collectively represent roughly 45,000 wireline workers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Read the full story.

Regional Bargaining Report # 62

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Bargaining continues in Washington DC at the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service (FMCS). CWA, IBEW and Verizon have agreed to Guidelines which includes that no information can be released by either party concerning the progress of these negotiations.

Last week,CWA District 1 and IBEW New England as well as CWA District 2-13 and IBEW Local 827 met with the company in sessions that went late into the night, every night for the entire week. Friday’s session ended on Saturday morning at 2 AM. Bargaining recessed so that the company could take the time to get additional information that the Union requested. Bargaining is scheduled to reconvene on Monday morning at 9 AM.

Because of the agreed upon blackout, there is no news of progress or non-progress to report.

Our members must continue to mobilize and we MUST let management know that we want a fair contract.

IT IS TIME TO GET INVOLVED!

This week get involved

Mobilize! –Mobilize! – Mobilize!