1:54:am
Bargaining Report # 57 - Monday,May 21, 2012
Again this week, the CWA District 1/IBEW Local 2213 and IBEW New England Regional Committee and the CWA District 2-13/ IBEW Mid Atlantic Regional Committee met with the Company together and discussed the issues of Job Security and Call Sharing. There were also several off table discussions with Union leadership and the Company chairs regarding these issues. The Company continues to demand the elimination of Job Security, elimination of the Movement of Work Protection, elimination of the 35-mile transfer provision and the elimination of New Contracting Initiatives agreement. Both Regional committees also met throughout the week to work on joint proposals for the Company’s Call Sharing proposal and the Union’s Jobs proposal. This week District 1 will be holding their Leadership Conference and there will be no formal bargaining. The Regional Bargaining Committee will be meeting while at the conference to prepare proposals to be ready when they return to the bargaining table on Tuesday, May 29th.
The Company continues to have only one goal, givebacks. Their agenda continues to include retrogressive demands across virtually every area of our contracts, which includes major cuts to our benefit plans- health, disability and pension plans. The Company is still not hearing us so it is more important than ever that we take this fight to a new level. Our members must continue to mobilize. Every member needs to commit to spending 4 hours per week participating in mobilization activities.
NLRB Region 2 Authorizes Issuance of Complaint Against Verizon for Unfair Firings, Discipline
On Friday, we learned that the Regional Director of Region 2 of the NLRB authorized the issuance of a complaint against Verizon regarding the discipline of CWA members for strike-related activity. CWA filed one comprehensive charge for all disciplined members in District 1 and District 2-13. There were 63 members that were disciplined and the Region authorized the issuance of complaint in all but five cases in which two of those cases were in District 1 and in those cases, we did not produce evidence.
This is a first step. The Region will first attempt to settle these cases with the Company. They will then issue a complaint, which will be heard by an Administrative Law Judge (ADJ). Following the ALJ’s decision, either side may appeal to the Board in Washington.
Even though this is a first step, it is a tremendous important step. It shows that the Region believes that based on the evidence presented to them by both sides, it is highly likely that the Company violated the law when it disciplined our members. We are confident that the judge will agree.
We need Every Member to Give the Union 4 hours Per Week.
Call your Local or talk to your steward and find out what you can do today to help.
If you have not been involved it is time to get involved.
IT IS TIME TO GET ANGRY
IT IS TIME TO GET INVOLVED
IT’S TIME TO FIGHT BACK
Now more than ever we need to mobilize!
Mobilize! – Mobilize! – Mobilize!
CWA Delivers 5,000 Letters to PSC
Yesterday, CWA turned in almost 5,000 handwritten letters from Verizon workers to the NYS Public Service Commission at yesterday's regular meeting with 1800 coming from Local 1101. We do believe the PSC has not gotten that many letters on any utility issue in at least several years. More letters are still coming into this office from locals. In addition, AARP, Consumers Union, Center for Working Families, Citizen Action, Common Cause, NYPIRG and the Alliance for Retired Americans joined us in supporting the Attorney General's filing, which calls on the PSC to stop allowing Verizon to reduce workforce and network investments, causing service quality problems.
The PSC, which is feeling the heat, ordered Verizon to respond to the AG's petition within 30 days, and pulled two items off their agenda that probably would have led to more meaningless regulatory wrist slaps on Verizon (presumably they are evaluating their position). Because of the AG's intervention, we have a chance at reversing the PSC's collusion with Verizon to weaken copper network service quality protections.
The consumer and senior groups that we are working with were energized by the successful battle to retain State-level regulatory authority over VoIP telephone service. They are getting increasingly involved in telephone service quality issues, which will help us push Verizon and the PSC. We are also continuing communication with Attorney General Schneiderman.
If you have more letters, give them to your steward.
Opposition to Verizon/Cable Deal Continues
Public opposition to the Verizon Wireless/Big cable deal is heating up. For example, nine Mayors from Upstate NY cities (Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton, Cortland, Utica, Kingston, Elmira and Troy) just expressed their deep concern with the deal, citing its negative effects on economic development and the digital divide. Consumer groups and Verizon Wireless' competitors are also stepping up their opposition. Fighting the deal, which includes a spectrum transfer and marketing agreements, is still an uphill battle.
CWA's fire is targeted at the marketing agreements between VZW and Cable, which weaken Verizon's incentive to invest in FiOS development, not the spectrum deal alone. Our efforts are making these agreements into a focus of concern on the issue. Analysts’ views of the deal's approval seem to be moving from a "this is a done deal" to "hmmm, something is happening here, but the FCC will still likely approve the deal". Both the FCC and the Department of Justice are reviewing the deal, including the joint marketing agreements.
Stay tuned for more mobilization activities on these issues soon.
2013 Mayoral Hopefuls Boost Bronx Cablevision Technicians' Hopes Of Unionizing With CWA
BY Celeste Katz
Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson could be looking to raise his profile with voters by supporting Bronx workers who want to unionize – but he's not alone.
Our Daniel Beekman reports:
Labor-friendly 2013 wannabees John Liu, the city comptroller, and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio are also backing the campaign by Bronx Cablevision technicians to join the Communication Workers of America.
All three candidates will join hundreds of workers at a meeting tonight. Brooklyn Cablevision workers voted to unionize in January after Liu, de Blasio, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other pols urged Cablevision CEO James Dolan to refrain from tough tactics.
