By Michelle Breidenbach / The Post-Standard
2-23-2012
Syracuse, N.Y. — Verizon has told workers that it intends to use independent contractors to do some work performed by the Fiber Solution Center in DeWitt.
About 300 people work at the FiOS call center, on Thompson Road. They are members of the Communications Workers Association Local 1123.
The news came in a three-sentence letter from management to the union on Friday. It says that the company intends to hire independent contractors to perform “certain work.”
Read the full story.
Verizon plans to contract out work (CWA letter below).
Hello Everyone,
Last March, the Company notified the union that it was “the Company intent to use independent contractors to perform all of the work associated with the following functions beginning September 15, 2011:
1. Corporate Telecom Services
2. Cable Locate Work
3. Coin Collection Work
4. Fiber Solution Center Work
We have now been notified by the company that effective on or shortly after April 17, 2012, the Company will be “moving forward with its plans to contract out some of the work performed by the Fiber Solutions Center (FSC).” Attached is the letter from the Company notifying the union (“Contracting of Fiber Solutions Center Work”).
We will be responding to this letter in the next few days. I will send the Locals a copy of our response to the company. Last March we responded to this notification by telling the Company that “CWA believes the proposed changes to CWA’s bargaining units are impermissible. Should Verizon attempt to remove said work from our bargaining units, CWA will aggressively fight the proposed changes legally and otherwise.”
The Company also notified the Union with another letter regarding ” New Contracting Initiative- EVRC” where we were informed that “the company’s plans to use independent contractors to perform some of the work that is done by the Customer Service Assistants in the Enhanced Verizon Resolution Center (EVRC) located in New York. Contractors will begin handling this work on or shortly after August 17, 2012.”
We will also be responding to this letter in the next few days and we will send the locals a copy of that response.
If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.