January 20, 2012

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Bargaining Team met with the Company in Rye, NY this week. The Union presented the Company with a counter-proposal on pensions addressing concerns brought to the table by both sides in earlier proposals.

The Union Call Sharing sub-committees from the NY/NE and Mid-Atlantic tables met to discuss the Company’s most recent proposal on that subject. We identified many items in the Company proposal that needed clarification. Following our meeting together, each committee then met with Company and their subject matter expert for him to explain the rationale behind this recent proposal. We were NOT surprised to hear the Company response to some of our questions. We then made several data requests to the Company about the proposal in order to get a better understanding of the exact impact this proposal would have on our region. We are waiting on the Company’s response to our requests.

We also met this week with a Company subject matter expert on the pension plan. We had many questions concerning the Mid-Atlantic Pension Plan funding and participants. While many of our questions were answered, others were left open with the Company having to get back to us.

The Mid-Atlantic Union committee made several other counter-proposals to the Company this week and we are awaiting their response.

The talks have recessed and will reconvene next week. This round of negotiations is proving to be one of the most difficult any of us have ever experienced. Management has moved very little from their original demands. Only a renewed commitment from every member and retiree, to bring pressure through mobilization, both in the workplace and outside of the workplace, will make management see we are not giving in on our commitment to good union jobs with decent healthcare and a secure future. Contact your Local and renew your commitment today.

We will send more updates as we move forward at the bargaining table.

 This is a Mobilization Call from CWA Local 2204 with additional comments by their Local’s President, Chuck Simpson…

“HERE IS WHAT VERIZON WANTS US TO AGREE TO:
*No Wage Increase Offer and No retroactivity on any negotiated items
*Sales Commission Plan for Consultants
*Significantly increase deductibles, co-pays & implement premium sharing for Health Care Plans
*Eliminate the HCBC & RHCBC positions
*Significantly increase co-pays in our prescription drug benefit plan
*Major diminishment in our benefits including Incidental Absence, Short Term Disability and Medically Restricted Plans
*Eliminate the Pension Plan
*Eliminate the Pension Cash Out Option
*Eliminate the Sickness Death Benefit
*Eliminate the Job Security Protections
*Increase the movement of work provision to 5%
*Change the contractual relocation provision to any move more than 85 miles
*Increase the forced Overtime limits
*Reduce evening and night differential payments and eliminate Saturday differentials altogether
*Eliminate Short Notice Excused Days and the 18% vacation provision
*Allow Electronic Recording of Call

VERIZON WILL NOT BACK DOWN UNTIL IT FEELS THE PUSH BACK FROM LOCAL MOBILIZATION

 We need to continue to mobilize in our local work groups on a daily basis– Whether it is informational pickets, walking into the garage together, wearing the same color, standing up together, picketing at a Verizon Wireless store, whatever we do we need to do it in a Strong, Unified showing so each supervisor gets the message and needs to report the activity to the company that the employees are upset and are pushing back– No later than Friday January 20th we want a report of what each work groups planned activities are so we know that our members are involved in this fight—Please reply to me with that info to my email address– If we do not stand up and fight back the company will succeed in taking our bargaining rights away from us–  Make no mistake, that is their plan–  They want a non union company where you work for lower wages with no pension and health care you pay for that has large deductibles and covers less medical needs–  Why should we give back an average of $20,000 per member in compensation and benefits while the CEO and other Verizon Executive Officers make big money and still want more– We are all CWA and we need to join in this fight to make Verizon realize they are dealing with more than just the members of the bargaining committee—They are dealing with employees who know what is right and they are the front lines of Verizon—They are dealing with women and men who pride themselves on doing a good job every day by working to take care of our Verizon customers–  We are the ones who make Verizon work and we are the ones who speak to our customers as Verizon every day–  If we don’t fight back who will?”

Monday January 16, 2012
A message from Keith Edwards….

Bargaining continued last week in full committee sessions. Your Regional Bargaining Team presented a second proposal to Verizon DEMANDING jobs be returned to the appropriate bargaining units which have been contracted out.

Verizon received those demands and said they would get back to us.

Verizon did respond to our counter proposal on Call Sharing by rejecting it and giving us their counter. Their counter was their original proposal of October 11, 2011 and additional demands that would increase their level of contracting.

Bargaining continues to go from bad to worse because the Company believes the members has become disinterested and disconnected.

Verizon continues to demand major givebacks on medical, pensions, job security, absences and work rule flexibility. On Tuesday January 10, 2011 Chris Shelton, District 1 Vice President had a Presidents meeting to discuss the status of contract negotiations.

Over the next two (2) weeks this locals Executive Board will be holding building meetings to let all members know what Verizon’s proposal would mean to their future.

WE MUST continue and ALSO ramp up our MOBILAZATION efforts if we want to get a fair contract. All members need to pledge four (4) hours a week to do what ever it takes to fight this company!

This is not my fight or the Executive Board’s fight: IT IS ALL OF US THAT NEED TO FIGHT TOGETHER TO WIN.”

Bargaining will resume tomorrow January 17, 2011.

Please keep in touch with this site or the tape on 718 904-1105 And Remember In Unity There is Strength!!!!!

NLRB Charges

NLRB charges have been filed for everyone in District 1 who was disciplined during the strike. Hearings for those cases will start next week. We still have 19 CWA Members who are currently terminated.

Lay-off Arbitration

The layoff arbitration for Verizon Core continued last week. The Union rested its case and the Company is currently presenting theirs. Hearing dates have been set for January 17th, 18th, 26th, 27th and February 9th and 10th.