CWA Local 2201

What's New at CWA 2201

Updated On: May 08, 2008 (15:46:00)

HEY IVAN!

Updated On: Apr 17, 2008 (15:51:00)

Updated On: Mar 14, 2008 (14:56:00)

The title says it all. I’m a term employee, what about me? This is a topic that has been brought up countless times and is an issue that the company is trying to use to divide us. The executive officers have heard from numerous people that employees hired under a term contract have been told that if they go on strike then they will be let go. Yet, every time, it has come from someone who knew someone it happened to. If you are a term and this happened to you then please call the local. If your manager told you that, they are breaking the law.

The truth is that there is only one difference with a term employee. That difference is that you were hired for a specific project for a term from six to thirty months and that the layoff provision would not be applicable. This is detailed in the General Agreement; Article 40, section 4, pg. 82.

Union activities are protected as long as they do not interfere with operations or are illegal. This protection is the same whether you are a term employee or not. In fact during a strike you have just as much protection as anyone.

Our former President, Roy Shumaker, has told a story that during the last strike, two technicians were supposed to report for their first day of work on the day that we went on strike. They walked in and reported to their supervisor and immediately walked out and joined the picket line. These two technicians are still employed today.

Verizon is doing everything that they can to drive a wedge between us. Whether it be FiOS vs. Copper, Inside vs. Outside or Term vs. Regular employee, Verizon is using anything that they can to make us weak. They are trying to scare you. They know that fear is a strong motivator and can be used to intimidate. But we need to use these company actions as another motivator. We need to get mad.

If a manager tries this on you, call them on it. Let them know that they are breaking the law and threatening you based upon a possible union activity. Let your VP or the local office know and it will be addressed. If you show strength to a bully then they will back down.

               Hopefully, the time won’t come when we go on strike but if it happens, know that you are a part of the entire union and when we act, we act together. If they go after you then they are attacking all of us and they will deal with all of us.

                                                                           Richard Hatch
                                                                      Executive Vice President

PUT UP THE FLAG

Updated On: Feb 20, 2008 (11:28:00)

TERRY'S STORY......

A member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, Terry recently returned from his third tour duty in the Middle East. He is a genuine patriot and has proudly flown his unit's American flag over the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan.

When he's not defending our country overseas, Terry Skiest works as a technician for Verizon Business. For three years, Terry displayed his American flag outside his cubicle. But when Terry left his flag hanging outside his cubicle during his last tour in Afghanistan, Verizon Business removed it.

A co-worker of Skiest's reported that a local manager said that the American flag "could be considered to be propaganda" and "might be offensive to some workers."

Terry isn't trying to organize workers against VZB - he just wants to put the flag back up on his wall. Tell Verizon Business to put up Terry's flag.

HTTP://PUTUPTHEFLAG.ORG

WHO WILL YOU SUPPORT?

Updated On: Feb 20, 2008 (12:22:00)

The CWA Executive Board met on November 14, 2007 and adopted the following resolution.

Board Resolution

Please continue to access cwavotes.org for up-to-date information on the candidates' issues, voice your opinion and/or ask a candidate a question.

Countdown for Verizon Contract Expiration!

Updated On: Mar 14, 2008 (14:44:00)


	As the Bargaining Reports from the District are received, we will post the last couple on the main page. To view all the reports, please check out the "Bargaining" button in the main menu. A special thank you to my union brothers and sisters for completing the bargaining surveys. They are being compiled as we speak......Chris Lane, President

December 11, 2007 - Bargaining Letter mailed to Members

Verizon Bargaining - February 27, 2008
Chris Shelton, Ron Collins, Jim Short & IBEW New England and New Jersey met with the Company yesterday. The Unions told the company that there
are problems with the current collective Bargaining Agreements. We advised the company they would need to meet with the Union to discuss these
problems before we agree to any "new" round of early negotiations.
We will be talking with the Regional Bargaining Committees to determine our options. I will keep you update after we talk with the Regional Bargaining Committe.
CWA/IBEW December 11, 2007
The Unions notified Verizon Labor Relations today that CWA was formally breaking off early negotiations.
The Union determined that given the Company’s demands for health care concessions for both active and retirees and without any agreement on any key Union demands, there is no realistic movement towards a successful agreement.
The CWA Bargaining Teams have an interest in bargaining a fair and equitable contract and we are always available to listen to reasonable proposals but we could never agree to the retrogressive demand Verizon put forth.
CWA/IBEW December 3, 2007
The meeting scheduled for today was postponed. The company has not yet responded to a large number of data requests.
The Union bargaining committee has therefore decided to suspend face-to-face meetings until the necessary information has been provided.
Once the information has been received and analyzed, the Union will provide a response to the Company demands.
We will provide you with updates as events unfold.
November 29, 2007
Bargaining resumed today. The Unions restated that their demands are still on the table. There was discussion regarding outstanding data requests. The meeting adjourned and the parties are scheduled to meet again on Monday, December 3rd. The Unions will continue to review and evaluate the data it has received so far.
The next bargaining report will be issued after the meeting on Monday, December 3rd.