Monthly Archives: June 2011

Don’t Miss the Next CWA Virtual Town Hall, Thursday June 16

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Workers’ Champion Ed Schultz Will Join Call

CWA’s next “virtual union meeting,” a national town hall by phone and Internet for stewards and all interested members, is scheduled for Thursday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

We’ll talk about our next steps and hear about recent successes, such as the big win CWA members helped make possible in upstate New York, sending a pro-worker candidate to Congress in a special election. We’ll also get an update from New Jersey on the bargaining battle there and from Ohio, where CWA members are building coalitions and circulating petitions to overturn a new law stripping collective bargaining rights from public workers.

Also speaking will be MSNBC and radio host Ed Schultz. An impassioned supporter of workers and unions, Schultz was the first national media figure to report from Wisconsin when the capitol protests began in February.

Please spread the word in your locals and plan to join thousands of your CWA brothers and sisters June 16, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Visit www.cwaaction.org to register for the call. Prior to the event, you’ll receive an email with call-in instructions.

CWA’s Verizon Bargainers Focus on Health Care as Talks Near

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Verizon bargaining team members from Districts 1, 2 and 13 met last week at CWA headquarters to prepare for negotiations.

CWA members of the Verizon bargaining committee from New York-New England (District 1) and the mid-Atlantic (Districts 2 and 13) met Friday for a daylong discussion on health care, gearing up for tough bargaining that will get underway at the end of June.

CWA Vice Presidents Ed Mooney, District 13, and Ron Collins District 2, and regional bargaining chairs Dennis Trainor and Gail Evans joined the discussion at CWA headquarters with bargaining committee members. CWA Research Director Louise Novotny and health care experts also made presentations.

The bargaining committee is also seeking input from members, through online surveys. District 1 Verizon members can complete the survey by clicking here

CWA, IBEW 2213 and Verizon Summer Camp Reimbursement Program

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CWA, IBEW 2213 and Verizon are pleased to announce a Summer Camp Reimbursement Program offered through the Regional Work and Family Committee.

Eligible employees who have not participated in the Dependent Care Reimbursement program since August/September 2010 can request reimbursement (up to $200.00 per session; max $400.00) for summer camp expenses for dependent children up to age 15.

For more information and an application, please visit our website at: www.regionalwfrc.com

If you have any questions or are unable to access the website, please contact the Work and Family Committee Staff at phone number (516) 797-3872 or call your Local Union office.

Correspondence can be sent to Fund Administrator, Beverly Steele; 120 Hicksville Road, Room 200A, Massapequa, NY 11758; Beverly.Steele@verizon.com

VZ DCRF Reimbursement Extended To May

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The reimbursement for child care provided by the DCRF will be extended through May 2011.  Originally, the Regional W/F Committee thought the funds would be depleted after the April 2011 payout, but by moving some available money from other projects into the DCRF we were able to provide an additional months payout.

To all my Friends, Family, Union Brothers, Sisters, Supporters, Sponsors and Teammates:

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This past Sunday, June 5 ‘Team Cordova’ completed the 30 mile Diabetes bike ride fund raiser. The ride was challenging, but not extremely difficult and the weather was perfect. We had a great time!

I would to thank each and every one of you for supporting us. Special thanks to my teammates:

James, Ivan, Rufus, Keith, Luke, Heather, Ryan and Patrick, you guys made the ride a thousand times better. I would also like to thank Harry, Tony, Cheryl, Ada, Larissa and Dania for helping with the registration, food and cheering the riders. You guys are awesome!!!

Many of you have already sent your donation, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Up to now we have already collected $1800.00 with more donations coming.

Many of you have promise to send me your checks or make your donation on line, which ever you chose please do it promptly. The total amount collected by the American Diabetes Association for this campaign was $211,000, the goal is $400.000.

If you want to send a check, make it out to: American Diabetes Association and mail it to:
Bill Cordova
PO Box 1443
New York, NY 10013

If you prefer to go on line our link is: Team Cordova.

Again thanks for riding, helping, donating and supporting me on this important cause.

Bill Cordova
bill.cordova@ymail.com

CWA Jobs Shrink At Verizon

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Since our last contract, we’ve lost 15,000 CWA jobs in the Verizon East footprint, from 48,000 jobs down to 34,000. That’s not because of the economy or because Verizon’s not profitable.

It’s because management has a very deliberate strategy to shrink the number of union jobs at Verizon. As the size of the union workforce decreases, so does our power: Power to keep our standard of living and power to protect the gains generations of Verizon workers have fought for.

Management is in the process of eliminating the largest number of union jobs in our history through layoffs/buyouts, contracting out, shifting work, and selling off parts of wireline operations. Further work has been lost as Verizon has cut back the FiOS build and neglected the copper plant. And management continues to move investment and jobs from wireline to non-union wireless.

In this round of bargaining, we’ve got to stop Verizon’s attack on union jobs!