Tuesday, December 11, 2012 @5:30 PM
Contract Ratification Meeting 10-02-2012.
Location: Fashion Institute of Technology
W.27th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
General Membership Meeting – December 11, 2012
Monthly Archives: November 2012
Verizon Voluntary Surplus
CWA National Union has been notified by Verizon of a voluntary surplus. There are a total of 18 Titles and 235 members within those titles within force adjustment areas 1, 2 & 3.
The following is a list of surplus titles and numbers within FAA 1, which is the force adjustment area for the Five Boroughs of New York City.
The Enhanced Income Protection Plan (EIPP) located on page 35-42 of your 2008 Contract will be offered to those members within Title and Force Adjustment Area by December 3,2012.
Members who make their decision to leave must put it in writing and transmit it to Verizon within 15 days of the offer, in this case by December 17, 2012. Off payroll date for those who accept the offer will be December 30, 2012.
Remember once you transmit your decision to leave, you cannot revoke your decision after December 17, 2012.
Open Enrollment for Medical – the deadline is December 6, 2012:
Just a reminder, please finish your open enrollment for Medical which has been extended until December 6, 2012.
Even if you are making no changes, please complete your health assessment survey to save $700 per year as well as your Certification of non smoking to save additional $600 a year on medical premiums.
This website will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
Remember… In Unity There is Strength!
Schumer Calls For Emergency Power For Cell Phone Towers
SCHUMER: THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS AND FIRST RESPONDERS LEFT WITHOUT VITAL CELL SERVICE IN WAKE OF SANDY, HINDERING RESPONSE AND ENDANGERING LIVES – CALLS FOR PLAN TO ENSURE CONTINUATION OF CELL SERVICE IN THE WAKE OF DISASTERS
Schumer Calls on Federal Communications Commission To Ensure That Vital Communications Networks Aren’t Cut After Storms or Power Failures – Urges Agency To Work With Responders and Industry To Establish and Implement Plan ASAP
An Estimated One In Four Towers Failed After the Storm – Approximately One-Third the Of Phone Users Rely Exclusively On Wireless
In Places Like Long Beach, Rockaways, Staten Island And More, Cell Phone Service Was Severely Curtailed After The Storm, Hindering Response Efforts and Endangering Lives
New York, NY – Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take the lead in developing a nationwide plan to ensure that cell towers don’t lose power for days or weeks in the wake of severe storms, terrorist attacks or other events that cause power failures. Schumer said that the FCC should work with industry and first responder groups to decide the best way forward that maximizes reliability, and minimizes costs and accelerates implementation time. He noted that approximately 33% of phone users now rely exclusively on wireless technology, and an estimated one out of every four towers in the impacted areas were down after Superstorm Sandy hit, leaving huge sections of impacted citizens struggling to effectively communicate during and after the storm’s impact.
Verizon Upgrading To All Fiber Optics After Copper Wiring Was Destroyed In Sandy Storm Surge
By Alex Silverman – WCBS – NY
The massive storm surge brought on by superstorm Sandy flooded homes, cars, businesses and a lot of the city’s vital infrastructure in lower Manhattan. At Verizon’s Broad Street central offices, the underground cable vault was badly damaged by the saltwater.
Crews have been working around the clock to rip out the damaged copper wires in an effort to get service fully restored. “That sound you hear is a saw cutting through the copper cables,” Verizon’s head of national operations Chris Levendos told WCBS 880′s Alex Silverman during a tour of the underground lower Manhattan hub.
Read the full story: WCBS-NY
Analyzing AT&T’s Plan to Expand Service: Transformation or Bait and Switch for Rural America
By TR Daily, Aspen Publishers
AT&T’s rural solution is to take down the existing landline network and move everyone to its wireless cell phone service. To implement this proposed solution, AT&T will aggressively invest in rural cell sites within the 22 states where it supplies landline service. The company claims 99% of its customers will be able to access a 4G LTE signal within a few years.
AT&T Has a Plan — Move Customers Away from Low Profit, Low Growth Landlines to High Profit Wireless/Deregulated Broadband
AT&T posted a copy of its proposal sent to the Federal Communications Commission.
Reviewing the 24-page document is a classic case of déjà vu. Once again, after the rhetoric is set aside, AT&T is back, peddling the same case to retire landline service and the regulatory obligations that accompany it. Only now, it has a carrot to dangle in front of regulators — significant investments in broadband expansion.
Verizon Reports Continued Support for Communities and Relief Efforts
Nov 20, 2012 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) — Verizon Wireless announced that its network in the Northeast is once again operating at pre-Hurricane Sandy levels and all locations of its corporate retail stores in the storm-affected area are open for business with the exception of the Wall Street location in Manhattan that sustained damage during the storm.
The company said it is now shifting its focus to continuing to support local residents still recovering from the storm, as well as the agencies conducting relief efforts in the area.
Read the full story: Satellite Spotlight – TMCnet
Verizon employees, Wireless customers and the Verizon foundation have pledged nearly 5.9 Million to support of Hurricane Sandy
Supporting relief agencies Verizon employees, Verizon Wireless customers and the Verizon Foundation have pledged nearly $5.9 million to date to support Hurricane Sandy relief and rebuilding efforts.
Customers can still make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999, and those who would like to give more can donate up to $50 via text. In addition, more than 6,700 Verizon employees have donated to the American Red Cross and Salvation Army through the Verizon Foundation’s matching gifts program; the foundation has matched those donations two-for-one.
CWA Disaster Relief Fund
Applications Being Accepted
The CWA Disaster Relief Fund is a fund to help members who are experiencing a financial hardship due to a natural disaster. The Fund will provide members who have experienced a total loss as declared by FEMA with a benefit of up to $1000 for damages to essential items and essential parts of members’ primary homes.
We are currently taking applications for the CWA Disaster Relief Fund. Click here for the Member Handbook and guidelines. Click here for the application.
Completed applications can be: Faxed to the Local at 212-633-8337 Mailed to Local 1101, 275 Seventh Avenue, 17th Fl, NY NY 10001 Dropped off at the Manhattan (275 Seventh Ave) or Bronx (1703 Castle Hill Ave, Bronx NY) offices.
Completed applications can be: Faxed to the Local at 212-633-8337
Mailed to Local 1101, 275 Seventh Avenue, 17th Fl, NY NY 10001
Dropped off at the Manhattan (275 Seventh Ave) or Bronx (1703 Castle Hill Ave, Bronx NY) offices.
Local of 1101 has been compiling a list at the members who have experienced major losses due to Hurricane Sandy, and have been reaching out to those members to see what assistance they need. If you know a member who has experienced a major loss and has not been in touch with the Local, please make sure they know this resource is available. They can call the Local at 212-633-2666 for help.
CWA Disaster Relief – Hurricane Sandy Fund
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
As President Cohen stated after Tuesday’s elections, “tens of thousands of our members, activists and volunteers stepped up and did amazing work, not only returning President Obama to office but in electing representatives who will stand with working Americans.” We can all be proud with the difference we made!
But while we relish the successes we must not forget the thousands of CWA members who have been affected by the previous week’s attack by Hurricane Sandy. Many are still without homes, electricity or suffering other hardships.
CWA Local Officers and members from across the country immediately began reaching out with inquiries on how they can best lend a helping hand wherever it was needed.
CWA’s Disaster Relief Fund is one resource to assist members who experience a financial hardship due to a natural disaster as declared by FEMA. The Fund may provide the member with a subsidy based on their essential losses associated with their primary home. Applications may be requested through your CWA Staff Represented.
In addition to our Disaster Relief Fund, we are setting up another fund that would assist our sisters and brothers who have suffered losses or hardships in ways other than to their primary home. But we need your help through contributions to this fund if we are going to be able to help those who are so desperately in need at this time.
Please share this request for donations to the CWA Disaster Relief – Hurricane Sandy Fund with your members, family and friends.
Donations should be made out and mailed to:
CWA Disaster Relief – Hurricane Sandy Fund
Secretary-Treasurer’s Office
501 3rd St, NW
Washington, DC 20001
I encourage all of us to once again step up and do amazing work to support our sisters and brothers in need by sending in your donations to the CWA Disaster Relief – Hurricane Sandy Fund. Together, we will continue to make a difference!
In Unity,
Annie Hill,
Secretary-Treasurer
Disaster Releif Fund Application
Disaster Relief Fund Member Handbook
What to do with your completed application: CWA Disaster Relief Fund Applications Being Accepted
Employees Respond Generously to Hurricane Sandy Relief
As of 11-9-2012, more than 5,500 employees have donated $534,682 to the Verizon Foundation’s Disaster Relief & Recovery Program. The 2:1 match (after confirmation) is $1.05 million, bringing the total to $1.58 million.
In addition, Verizon Wireless customers have donated $2.77 million through the text-to-donate campaign. With the pledge to match the donations up to $1 million, the text-to-donate total now stands at $3.77 million.
That brings the total amount of disaster-relief funds donated by employees, customers and the foundation to $5.35 million.
How to Donate:
- Logon to the Verizon Foundation Matching Gifts site:
- Select the Disaster Relief icon
Disaster Relief & Recovery Program
The Verizon Foundation enhanced its Disaster Incentive Program and will provide a 2:1 match on employee donations of $25 or more to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Under the program, the foundation will double employee donations of up to $1K per employee, so a donation of $1K by an employee would amount to a $2K donation by the Verizon Foundation for total of $3K to their designated agency.
Note: The Foundation’s disaster-relief program is open to Verizon employees throughout the world.
The campaign will run through November 15. The Foundation will match donations to American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
To ensure your donation of $25 or more is matched by the Verizon Foundation, please follow these steps:
- Log into Verizon Foundation Matching Gifts site.
- Once logged in, click on the Disaster Relief link found at the top of the page
- On the left side of the “My Disaster Relief Homepage,” click the “Create Application” button for the disaster relief agency to which you would like to make a donation
- Complete the Matching Gift application form
- Follow the steps on the system-generated “Click Here to Proceed With Your Donation” link to make your online credit-card donation to your selected agency
Program for Customers to Contribute
In addition, Verizon Wireless has implemented a mobile giving program for customers wanting to contribute to the relief efforts by making $10 donations to the American Red Cross via text messaging. Donating is easy — simply text a specific word to the organization’s designated short code.
- Red Cross: Text REDCROSS to 90999
- STORM to 80888 to give to the Salvation Army
- HUMANE to 80888 for the American Humane Association
- UWHC to 52000 to the United Way of Hudson County, N.J.
Verizon Wireless waives text-messaging fees for disaster relief donations, and 100 percent of each donation goes to the relief organization. For Verizon Wireless customers who pay monthly bills, their donations will appear on the next regular monthly bill. For customers using the company’s prepaid services, the donations will be taken from their prepaid balance. Donations made via text are not match by the Verizon Foundation’s Disaster Relief Incentive Program.
CWA Disaster Relief Fund: CWA’s Disaster Relief Fund is one resource to assist members who experience a financial hardship due to a natural disaster as declared by FEMA. The Fund may provide the member with a subsidy based on their essential losses associated with their primary home. Applications may be requested through your CWA Staff Representative.
Donations should be made out and mailed to:
CWA Disaster Relief – Hurricane Sandy Fund
Secretary-Treasurer’s Office
501 3rd St, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Teachers unions show renewed strength in wake of elections
By Sarah Butrymowicz, The Hechinger Report
President Barack Obama’s re-election on Tuesday — along with Democratic victories in key states — marked a reprieve for teachers unions after a difficult year of political attacks and shrinking membership.
The defeat of Indiana’s Republican superintendent of public instruction, Tony Bennett, combined with labor-friendly results on a series of ballot initiatives, demonstrates the continuing strength of unions, said Terry Moe, a political scientist at Stanford University and the author of “Special Interest: Teachers Unions and America’s Public Schools.”
“They’re powerful enough that they can go after their enemies,” Moe said. “That tends to prevent a lot of policymakers from doing anything.”
In Michigan, a Setback for Unions
By Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times
Hoping to set a precedent for other states, Michigan’s labor unions spent months pushing a referendum to amend the state’s Constitution to prohibit the legislature from ever enacting a law that would curb the powers of public employee unions.
But this push to enshrine collective bargaining rights in the Constitution was roundly defeated in Tuesday’s election, 58 to 42 percent — an embarrassing loss for labor in a state known as a cradle of American unionism.