March 2, 2012

The Mid-Atlantic bargaining team met in Rye New York this week with the Company and presented a counter-proposal that addressed call center work, absence, the Medical Restriction Policy, transfers, benefits and many other items that remain outstanding. The Company response to this proposal showed a lack of interest and concern to the bargaining priorities of CWA and IBEW.

The greed continued to overflow this week when the Company counter-proposals demanded that we give up benefits, in order to save this Company millions and millions of dollars. When questioned, their response to our proposal as well as several other Company proposals that demand concessions, the Company struggled to explain how these demands would be handled in our different locals. They requested time to look into their proposals and will respond to us at a later time. Bargaining has recessed until next week.

Active and Local members need to continue mobilization activities. Preparations are in place for the upcoming National Day of Action and all should make arrangements to participate in planned events.

Keep up the fight each day in every location and stay strong.

Mid-Atlantic Bargaining Team District 2-13

CWA 1108 Tape
Call 631-654-1304
2/14/12

COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL 1108, PATCHOGUE, NY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012 DON DUNN SPEAKING

BARGAINING HAS RESUMED WITH LITTLE TO NO PROGRESS TO REPORT.  WE MUST CONTINUE TO MOBILIZE.  WE HAVE BEEN SEEING AN INCREASE OF MEMBERS AT THE VERIZON STORES AND THIS MUST CONTINUE.  SPREAD THE WORD!  URGE YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO GET OUT THERE.

ON BEHALF OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO SHOWED UP LAST NIGHT AT THE SMITH HAVEN MALL AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO LONG ISLAND JOBS WITH JUSTICE WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA.

THE LAYOFF ARBITRATION CASE HAS RESTED.  THERE HAS BEEN NO DATE PICKED YET TO HAVE THE ATTORNEYS FILE THEIR BRIEFS.  WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION.

THE COMPANY HAS ANNOUNCED THERE WILL BE AN IPP OFFER COMING.  WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR DETAILS.  RIGHT NOW WE BELIEVE THE OFF PAYROLL DATE WILL BE MARCH 31^ST.  WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION.

LOCAL 1108’S GOLF OUTING WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 AT ROCK HILL COUNTRY CLUB.  ANYONE INTERESTED IN PLAYING SHOULD CALL THE LOCAL (631) 654-1108.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO WEAR RED ON THURSDAYS, WORK SAFE, BE ON THE JOB, DO YOUR OWN JOB, AND DO A UNION QUALITY JOB.  THANK-YOU FOR CALLING.

IBEW Local 2322
Friday, February 17th 2012

Bargaining Update

The IBEW and CWA met with the company this week for regional bargaining in Rye New York. Health care and call sharing were among the topics discussed. We are still nowhere near reaching an agreement with Verizon. Movement at the table can be described as at a snail’s pace at best. The bargaining teams will recess for the weekend and resume talks next week.

The company has declared a surplus under the provisions of article G25 of the contract. The company will offer the provisions of an Enhanced Income Protection Plan(EIPP) to regular employees in the surplus job titles at the work locations involved. EIPP offers will be distributed to the affected employees by today February 17^th 2012. An employee’s election to accept the offer must be in writing and transmitted to the company within 15 days from the date of the offer which is March 2^nd 2012. The decision to take the EIPP is irrevocable. The off property date for those that elect to accept the EIPP will be March 31^st 2012.

The surplus numbers are as follows. South Yarmouth:2 OPT’s, and 6 SST’s. Pocasset 6 SST’S. Hyannis 3 SST’s. Orleans 3 SST’s. The company has indicated that if the surplus is not satisfied with the EIPP they will continue with the force adjustment plan to force rearrange technicians to satisfy the surplus.

The company has also sent notification that they will be permanently transferring 4 construction SST’s from New Bedford to Taunton Installation and Maintenance using article P14 of the contract.

CWA 1105 Tape
Friday February 17, 2012, 2:30 pm
A message from Keith Edwards….
Tape Number: 718-904-1105

CWA Bargaining Update

Bargaining continued all last week and this week revolving around two (2) major topics, Medical and Call Sharing.

Verizon came with another counter proposal to the Unions medical proposal. The Union proposal gave cost containment items that would help Verizon cut costs but unfortunately their proposal only addressed cost shifting.

Their premium payment for a family coverage would end up costing our members approximately $94.00 per week and that doesn’t include co-payment, co-insurance deductible or any additional out of pocket expensive.

This week we worked with the research department from Washington trying to find other ways to cut costs.

Today February 17, 2012 your regional bargaining team presented another counter proposal to Verizon’s call sharing proposal, The Company had some questions and said they were going to review it and get back to us with either more questions or another proposal.

All members need to continue their mobilization effort to be successful at the bargaining table.

Members who are not involved need to be because your future is at stake!

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

CWA 1104 tape (516-420-1753)-bargaining and IPP update.

CWA Local 1101 Tape- bargaining update- 212-633-6753.

From CWA1022

Bargaining continued this week in Rye, NY. In our meetings, the company rejected the Union’s proposals on the Advisory Committee on Healthcare, Healthcare Benefit Coordinators, Pensions, Corporate Profit Sharing and Meal Allowances. The company offered counter-proposals on the Advisory Committee on Healthcare and one part of our proposal on pensions.

We also met and discussed the company Call Sharing proposal. The company provided data and answers to some of the questions we asked last week. Some of the answers created more questions and requests for information. Our discussions on call sharing will continue as the company responds with further data. The talks have recessed for the week and will reconvene on February 6th.

As we continue to fight back against the concessions the company is pushing at the bargaining table, we know it will take the commitment of every member and retiree to send a clear message to management this is a fight we intend to win.

Stay engaged. Stay focused on what is going on during this round of bargaining. The company is attacking our middle class standard of living.

We will send more updates as they become available.

Mobilize! – Mobilize! – Mobilize!

It’s YOUR Contract!

From 2008 – 2010, Verizon paid no federal income taxes.  Anyone that paid even a penny in federal income taxes paid more than Verizon did from 2008 – 2010. On Thursday, January 26^th, join picketing and protests throughout the country.  
Watch the video and sign the petition to get ready:

CWA is working in coalition with OccupyTheBoardroom to highlight Verizon’s tax-dodging and  union-busting. OccupyTheBoardroom directs the general public to put pressure on greedy corporate big-wigs.

Bargaining Status: We Must Mobilize

CWA Local Executive Board Members are visiting work locations to tell every member what Verizon’s proposals at the bargaining table mean to their future. Executive Board members are explaining what needs to be done to fight this company. The Union is asking every member to give four hours a week to the mobilization against Verizon’s proposals. It’s time to mobilize to make Verizon agree to a fair and just contract. Read the latest bargaining reports here:

District 1: http://district1.cwa-union.org/bargaining/company/c/verizon
District 2-13: http://district2-13.cwa-union.org/bargaining/company/c/verizon

Want details about Verizon’s Tax-Dodging and Union-Busting?Download this flyer for distribution at Verizon work locations here:
http://files.cwa-union.org/national/verizon/VZ-VeryGreedy-Equation-Flier-2012-01.pdf

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.