News

Regional Bargaining Report # 16

CWA District 1/IBEW Local 2213 and IBEW New England Regional Committees met with the Company today at the Rye Town Hilton in Rye, NY. The Union received answers to their questions on one of the company’s proposals. Unfortunately, the charts and presentations that they brought to the table to answers those questions were incorrect and the company needed to recess in order to correct those charts. The Union had received this proposal one month ago and had asked many questions to better understand the proposal. One month later, they returned with incorrect information. The company has told the Union that they will have this information tomorrow. The Union has to wonder when the company will begin to negotiate. Marc Reed, Executive Vice President in Verizon wrote to our members on Tuesday and he stated, “We are committed to productive discussions with union leaders regarding these issues.” Someone needs to tell Marc Reed that they have not engaged in any productive discussions and there is only 9 days left to the expiration of our contract. When do they plan to begin to have these productive discussions? 

The members in District 1 overwhelming voted to authorize the Executive Board of CWA to call a strike if a fair contract cannot be reached.  

Every member should tell their managers to stop sending them part of “What You Should Know” – How about telling us that Ivan Seidenberg makes $55,000 a day , that’s a day ,that their top five executives were paid $258 million in compensation over the last 4 years, that Verizon made $19 Billion (that is with a “B”) in Profits over the last 4 years. Tell your managers that with facts like this, Verizon should not be trying to:

Eliminate Compensation:

  • Wages - both annual and progression increases will be tied to your yearly evaluation.  If you receive a “Does Not Meet Position Requirements” you will not receive an increase.
  • Eliminate Night and Saturday Differential
  • Eliminate Sunday premium pay.
  • Eliminate Double Time for hours worked past 49 in a week
  • Eliminate all Overtime Caps.
  • Eliminate city allowances
  • Create new job titles for the consumer and business call centers that would work on a commission based wage schedule.

Eliminate Pensions: 

  • Eliminate pension accruals. For anyone currently on the payroll your pension will be frozen as of December 31, 2011 and after that, there will be no more pension plan.
  • Eliminate the Pension Cash-Out option.
  • Modify the 401(k) Plan and the CPS.
  • Eliminate the Sickness Death Benefit.

Eliminate Benefits:

  • Eliminate the current health care, prescription, dental, and vision plans and offer plans with high deductibles and contributions.
  • Eliminate accident disability benefits.
  • Cut in half the sickness disability benefits.
  • Reduce sick time pay to 5 days per year for those members with 20 or more years, 4 days for those with 15 - 20 years, 3 days for those with 7- 15 years, 2 days for those with 2 – 7 years and 0 days for those with less than 2 years.
  • Reduce Paid Holidays to seven.

Eliminate Job Security:

  • Eliminate the Job Security Provisions for all employees.
  • Eliminate the Movement of Work Protection
  • Eliminate the 35 mile transfer provision
  • Eliminate provisions in Force Adjustment Plan
  • Eliminate New Contracting Initiatives agreement – which would allow them to increase the level of contracting

Eliminate Other Benefits:

  • Eliminate the Next Step Program
  • Eliminate the half day on Christmas Eve
  • Reduce the notice to the Union on Major technological changes from 6 months to 30 days
  • Eliminate the Dependent Care Reimbursement Fund

Verizon seems hell-bent on destroying the middle class jobs CWA and IBEW have fought so hard to create over the last 50 years of collective bargaining. 

Thousands of CWA and IBEW members and retirees will be at this Saturday’s Rally at 11AM at Verizon headquarters at 140 West Street in New York City to tell Verizon that it is time to invest in America and to bring Good Jobs back into the bargaining unit. Corporations like Verizon should not be destroying middle class jobs. They should be helping to rebuild the American economy and sharing their success with the workforce that made that possible.  

If you haven’t already made your arrangements to be at the Rally contact your Steward or Local tomorrow to sign up. Every member should be at his rally, every member should bring their families, neighbors and friends.  

It’s time to fight back!

Remember to wear RED!!! 

Now more than ever we need to mobilize! 

Mobilize! – Mobilize! – Mobilize!