Transcript: Executive Vice President Angel Feliciano
Discussions continue with the company with the focus on the union’s issues and concerns.
There is no progress to report, but discussions will resume this morning. We urge all Members to keep the pressure on through your amazing picket lines & mobilization.
We can and we will beat corporate greed.
The support from other unions, civic organizations, the public and elected officials continues to grow.
We will win because WE ARE ONE!
Thursday, August 18, 2011 9 PM
CWA District 1/IBEW Local 2213 and IBEW New England Local Committees met with the company in two separate sessions today at the Rye Town Hilton in Rye, NY. The Union compelled the company to talk about the Union’s issues. We reminded the company that this bargaining was also about our issues and what is important for our members and their families. We are scheduled to meet with the Company tomorrow morning.
As we mentioned in last night’s report for those in NY State, if you have not yet applied for unemployment insurance, please wait to apply . You can apply after the seventh week (50 Days). Those who already applied will receive a letter shortly telling you that your application has been suspended and you will have to reapply after 50 days on strike. This was confirmed by our attorney on a conference call today with the Acting Deputy Commission at the NY State Department of Labor.
We will not allow VERIZON to destroy the Middle Class Stay Strong
Stay United Mobilize! – Mobilize! – Mobilize!
C. Richter
Literally hundreds of education advocates, members of many unions and their supporters rallied in New York City Wednesday evening to voice their opposition to a $120 million contract between Verizon and the New York City Public Schools.
Patrick Sullivan, a member of the Education Policy Panel, was one of those who voted against the contract award. In voicing his opposition, he said: “I think we have concerns about Verizon’s conduct under the previous contract and as the Special Commission of Investigations pointed out, we still have funds that need to be returned to the Department from Verizon. The second reason is that I’m not sure that Verizon, given the strike conditions, can actually fulfill its services. A lot of what we have in the school system are the older landlines & copper. I don’t know that the people they are bringing in on a temporary basis can maintain these lines.”
Many times during the evening, the crowd leaped to their feet, fists jutting in the air and roared “SHAME”. The panel ultimately voted to give the contract to Verizon. It was not lost on those familiar with New York City politics, that the panel is ripe with Mayor Bloomberg appointees and basically acts as a rubber stamp on his policy ‘recommendations’.
A primary reason given for the contract award was that the lines had already been installed throughout the school system by Verizon (for which they have not yet been paid) and that any other carrier would have to pay them for their use, thereby increasing costs to the City.
While questions remained regarding previous fraud, panel members were assured that there would be proper oversight. No further mention was made regarding the striking workers or Verizon’s ability to honor the contract with a presently reduced, untrained workforce.
As energizing as the fight was to the protestors, it was obviously disheartening to witness Verizon receiving such a huge contract in light of give-back demands from its middle class union workers.
Rally at Pearl Street 8-17-2011. Click on photo to view the gallery.
August 17, 2011 10:00 PM
CWA District 1/IBEW Local 2213 and IBEW New England Regional Committees met today at the Rye Town Hilton in Rye, NY. There was no progress made today. We are scheduled to meet with the Company at 9 AM tomorrow.
Information has been sent to the Locals regarding the Robert Lilja Members Relief Fund (RLMRF). We are also working with the NY State Department of Labor on the issue of unemployment insurance in NY State.
Those who applied last week have been sent a letter telling them that their application has been suspended because Verizon has said that they are not being permanently replaced and to reapply on the 50th day of the strike. If you have not applied for unemployment insurance, please wait to apply. Those who did apply, we will have additional information for you tomorrow. We have a conference call tomorrow morning with the Acting Deputy Commissioner at the NYS Department of Labor to answer our questions and concerns and we will send out that additional information tomorrow.
We will not allow VERIZON to destroy the Middle Class
Stay Strong – Stay United
Mobilize! – Mobilize! – Mobilize!
Join striking Verizon workers for a candlelight vigil at the home of Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam’s Home on Thursday, August 18 at 7:00 p.m. We will be mourning the death of good, middle class jobs in New Jersey at the hands of Verizon corporate greed. Verizon made $22.5 billion in profits over the past four and a half years and has paid its top five CEOs $258 million in the past four years, but despite these times of lavish profit, the company wants $1 billion in concessions from its 45,000 unionized workers and wants to eliminate contract provisions protecting workers from outsourcing.
The vigil will be from 7:00 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. in Mendham, NJ. There will be buses leaving from:
Newark: 30 Clinton St, 5:30 p.m.
Livingston: 280 W Mt. Pleasant Ave, 6:00 p.m.
Hamilton: Hamilton Marketplace in front of BJ’s, 900 Marketplace Blvd, 5:00 p.m.
Please call your local or the CWA District 1 office at 609-278-6588 to reserve a seat on a bus.
If you are driving to Mendham from NYS, there will be a shuttle service to and from the event, running between 6:15 and 7:00 p.m. To use this service, please meet in the parking lot of Kings Supermarket, located at 86 East Main Street in Mendham. There’s no parking around his house – it’s rich people back country-ish roads.
There’s is also a link with info here:
http://cwanj.org/content/2011/08/join-us-candlelight-vigil-verizon-ceo-lowell-mcadams-home-thursday-818-7-pm
Washington, D.C. — In just one week, more than 100,000 people have called on Verizon chief executive officer Lowell McAdam to get serious about bargaining and to stop trying to push Verizon workers out of the middle class. That number will swell as even more organizations contact their members to urge support for Verizon strikers.
The $100 billion, very profitable company has paid its top five executives more than $258 million over the past four years but it continues to demand $1 billion in concessions from workers. That’s $20,000 in compensation per worker per year.
From coast to coast, working families, unions, students, progressive groups, civil rights and community organizations and many more have joined the fight against Verizon’s greed. In addition to signing the petition to Verizon’s CEO, allies are joining picket lines at Verizon Wireless stores and planning back to school actions.
At www.unityatverizon.com, supporters can sign the petition, join a picket line and take other action to help defend Verizon workers’ bargaining rights.
“We will never have an economic recovery if profitable companies like Verizon can demand huge concessions from workers. You don’t build a middle class by cutting workers’ wages, benefits and standard of living. That’s just one reason why Verizon is becoming synonymous with VeryGreedy,” said CWA Communications Director Candice Johnson. Verizon workers are prepared to return to work when Verizon demonstrates that it’s ready to bargain seriously, Johnson said.
Aug 16, 2011
Frequently Asked Questions – Health Care
Q. I am on strike. What protections do I have that I will not go without needed health care?
A. A law called COBRA* requires group health plans to offer striking workers and their covered dependents the opportunity to continue health coverage for up to 18 months when they go on strike by paying for it out of their own pockets. This applies to medical, dental and vision benefits. Strikers do not have to continue any coverage, they can choose to pay for only the core medical benefits, or they can choose to pay for only themselves or only their dependents.
CWA has made a commitment to assist striking workers in paying for their health care needs out of the Robert Lilja Members Relief Fund (RLMRF) during their participation in the strike. Working with Local Union’s Community Services Committee, members can make decisions about the best way to cover their needs, and the Union will determine whether to pay for monthly premiums or to assist in paying for health care services on an “as needed” basis. *U.S.A. Bargaining Units Only
Q . When do I have to begin paying the premium if I elect to continue coverage?
A. COBRA allows you up to 60 days to decide whether you want to continue your coverage. If you make an election to continue, then you have another 45 days to pay the premium. However, before electing coverage or paying a premium, you should contact your Local Union’s Community Services Committee.
Q. I belong to an HMO. What happens if I need medical attention during the 60-day election period?
A. If you need medical attention before you have elected continuation coverage, but before the 60-day election period is over, the HMO may ask you to either elect continuation coverage at that time or to pay the reasonable and customary fee for the services required. If you can pay for the services at the time (by credit card if possible), do so. Then, immediately contact your Local Union’s Community Services Committee to begin the process of applying for assistance from the RLMRF.
Q. Who should I contact if I have any questions regarding my health care coverage?
A. If you have any other questions, you should contact your Local Union ( local 1101, 212-633-2666) or your Local’s Community Services Committee for further assistance.
Radio and Print ads will run today in Pittsburgh, tomorrow in other papers listed.
Baltimore Sun, Phil Inquirer, Richmond Times, Dispatch, Wash Post, NY Times, NY Daily, News Newsday Pittsburgh Post, Gazette.
The radio schedule:
| MARKET LOCATION | RADIO STATION | 8/16 THRU 8/21 TUES – SUNDAY | ||
| AD AIR TIMES | ||||
| BALTIMORE | WBAL | 1090 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | |
| WJZ | 1300 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| WJZ | 105.7 FM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| BUFFALO-NIAGRA FALLS | WBEN | 930 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | |
| WGR | 550 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| WKSE | 98.5 FM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| WTSS | 102.5 FM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| NEW YORK | WCBS | 880 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | |
| WFAN | 660 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| WINS | 1010 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| WOR | 710 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| PHILADELPHIA | KYW | 1490 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | |
| WIP | 610 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| WPEN | 950 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| WPEN | 97.5 FM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| PITTSBURGH | WDVE | 102.5 FM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | |
| WBGG | 970 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| WASHINGTON, DC | WTEM | 980 AM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | |
| WTOP | 107.7 FM | 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM | ||
| SYRACUSE, NY | WTKW | TK 99 | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | |
| WTLA | 1200 AM | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM | ||
| 97.7 FM | ||||
| WZUN | 102.1 FM | 6:00 – 10:00 PM | ||
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 11 PM
CWA District 1/IBEW Local 2213 and IBEW New England Regional Committees met today at the Rye Town Hilton in Rye, NY. The unions’ committees continued to review the proposals by the company and all the information we have received from the company. We are scheduled to resume talks tomorrow.
Today we filed unfair labor practice charges at the NLRB in Manhattan against Verizon for unilaterally changing the way our members got paid last Thursday. Our members were sent to places other than their regular reporting location to pick up their paychecks. Some members had to drive many extra miles to get their checks.
Verzion did this to harass our members on strike and to cost them money. Verizon is also refusing to pay disability to members on sick leave when the strike began if they had not yet reached their eighth day of absence. This too was done unilaterally for the purpose of harassing our members. Verizon has also told the Union that they will not pay people for scheduled vacation time during the strike. Again, they did this unilaterally for the purpose of making it difficult for striking members.
Verizon’s actions violate the National Labor Relations Board in two ways. These actions were taken without bargaining with the Union; they were also done to make things more difficult for our striking members. As such these actions are unlawful.
A radio ad (jackpot revised) will be aired on radio stations throughout the district. Ads start Wed. morning. Please listen to the commercial jackpot_revised
We are currently engaged in a bitter contract dispute with Liberty Health Care. This corporation owns Arm Acres and Conifer Park. These two Behavioral Health Care facilities deal with substance abuse and addiction.
CWA, Local 1101 has represented these two facilities since 1996 and we have successfully negotiated five contracts over the last fifteen years. Verizon and Liberty Health Care are two corporations which share one common goal: to destroy our members’ collective bargaining rights. Reduced Wages, diminished health care and elimination of pension benefits are the key sticking points in both negotiations. (See related letter) Our current struggle is about bargaining rights and maintaining our negotiated benefits.
This Saturday there will be two rallies to support our members at Arms Acres and Conifer Park but also to show the public our solidarity within CWA. We are asking all of CWA to support their members; we all must stand together against the corporate plan to destroy collective bargaining rights and our way of life.
Date: Saturday, August 20, 2011 Time: 12:30 PM
We will gather at:
Place: Carmel, NY 10512
Gilead Presbyterian Church
Church Street and Route 6
This is the location for the Arms Acres RallyPlace: Glenville, NY 12302
KMART
Saratoga Road and Glenridge Road
This is the location for Conifer Park