Regional Bargaining Report # 49

CWA District 1/IBEW Local 2213 and IBEW New England Regional Committees as well as the CWA/IBEW Mid Atlantic Regional Bargaining Committee will be returning to the Rye Town Hilton on Tuesday October 25, 2011. We left bargaining so that every CWA Local Executive Board Member in District 1 could visit every company garage, company building or be in the field to talk to every CWA member to tell them exactly what the latest company proposal would mean to their future. We told our members all the facts. Our Local Executive Board members explained to our members what must be done to fight this Company. Our members told us to shine a light on the Company’s Greed and to continue to fight for a fair contract. Our members told us that they are not willing to give up 50 years of collective bargaining victories to a company that is trying to destroy the middle class while making huge profits.
 
Our members know the facts – all the facts.
 
Last Thursday, the stewards in every Local met with the members at every work location and explained to them how we will join forces with the “99% group” and the “Occupy Wall Street Group” to fight this Company.  Our members are joining these groups as CWA and IBEW as well as organized labor across this country  are joining “Occupy Any Street” to fight Corporate Greed and the face of Corporate Greed will be Verizon. Verizon’s top five executives took $258 million over four years.  Verizon paid no federal income taxes in 2009 – 2010 and got a $1.3 billion tax refund. Verizon made $22 billion in profits over the last four years.
 
Verizon should continue to provide good jobs to help American out of the worst recession since the Great Depression instead of trying to destroy the Middle Class.
 
On Friday, 2,000 CWA members as well as the Occupy Wall Street group, other unions and community groups marched from 140 West Street past Zuccotti Park to a Verizon Wireless store down on Wall Street. The March stated at 140 West Street with an informational picket line and ended with the Rally on Wall Street.

See are two videos from Friday Night’s March and Rally:
 
CWA in Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and the 99% http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzzpxh6dyfw
Chris Shelton of CWA to Occupy Wall Street: "Thank You! http://youtu.be/oAj1Zl_8cvc
 
 
Marches and Rallies like we had on Friday are happening every day in more and more cities across this country and more and more Americans are raising their voices and joining the fight on Corporate Greed and making Verizon the face of that Greed.
 
Every CWA member in every District across this country will fight Verizon and Corporate Greed as they Occupy Any Street in this country to shine the light on Verizon the Poster Child of Corporate Greed in America.
 
We will be returning to the bargaining table knowing that our membership is 100% in support of this Regional Bargaining Committee and your committee will continue to fight for a fair contract and to stop Verizon from destroying the Middle Class
 
Contact your steward to get instructions on our next activity
 
It’s time to fight back! Remember to wear RED!!!
 
Join the Fight “Occupy Any Street”
 
 
Now more than ever we need to mobilize!
 
Mobilize! – Mobilize! – Mobilize