Business Manager's Report
June 11th, 2008
Business Managers Report
Unit I Union Meeting – IBEW 2321 Wednesday June 11, 2008
Bargaining between the IBEW T6 Council and the CWA NY Regional Bargaining teams began two weeks ago on May 27th, in Rye New York. Verizon began with a presentation for needing cost containment in their current healthcare plan followed by presentations of the associated costs and their proposals. The unions had many questions and requested numerous types of documentation to support the company’s positions on healthcare costs relating to their proposals. After hearing Verizon’s opening remarks and healthcare presentations, both the CWA and the IBEW’s initial opening statements of bargaining, began with the understanding that in addition to healthcare, the unions also will demand that their be discussions on Conflict Resolution, the Future of Work, and jobs. The union negotiating team met last week with representatives of Blue Cross Blue shield and had many questions on the different plans they administer and the healthcare industry as well. Document information was requested from both Verizon and Blue cross to better help the unions analyze the proposals. Due to the confidentiality of the issues and the ongoing negotiations, at the present time there is no information available on exact particulars of the initial proposal. What the unions have received for a proposal and what the unions end up with will be different. I can say that the company has presented a plan with many increases across the board, to all the health plans and prescription plans. It is the union’s contention that the cost shifting needs to looked at intensively to make an accurate assessment of the company’s initial proposal. This is a lengthy process and will resume until next week. In addition, the unions also had separate talks on the issues currently affecting the memberships with regards to hostility from the management workforce, Fios implementation and the future work for our members. At these meetings Verizon took down our issues but maintained that they are only interested in bargaining healthcare. The unions made it known that they cannot expect to come to the unions with demands for help for this very profitable company and not expect to have any dialogue about our needs and or demands. These local talks have been very contentious and will continue to be. The IBEW and CWA have been meeting away from Verizon to assess the healthcare proposal and “crunch the numbers.” It is expected that the unions may engage further dialogue on healthcare later in the week and into early next week. Keep in mind that the CWA will be leaving next Wednesday June 18th until June 27th for their convention and the combined talks with Verizon will be put on hold until at least the convention is over. The IBEW has indicated that they will continue to meet Verizon on the local issues. There is no indication that the IBEW will or will not meet and whether it will be in Rye NY or locally in Marlboro. We will keep you posted! The IBEW insists that the company begin fixing problems that have been going on in New England over the past few years. Although the many issues affecting the unions in New England should have been addressed in the regular course of business over the last few years, Bargaining is the place we will get these items addressed. One major point is the grievance and arbitration procedure. The IBEW and Verizon both agree the process is broken and needs to be addressed, however, like any other dealings with Verizon; they are not working with the unions to come to a solution. The easy fix would be to respect the current process and honor the contract and respect their employees. The IBEW and CWA are working together on an alternative dispute resolution process where members can get their grievances addressed in a timely manner and with adequate consideration. Verizon insists on using outside law firms to frustrate the whole process which delays grievances and forces the unions and Verizon to spend millions to litigate. Verizon’s current plans in FiOS also need to be addressed. Verizon told the unions yesterday that they intended to begin progressive steps of discipline for the new hires only trained in Fios and follow it with terminations. Anyone trained in Fios and core will be removed to core and disqualified from Fios work. This situation is totally unacceptable but it goes to show you that this is an anti-union, anti-worker company. This membership should be aware that Verizon, insists they want a contract but yet have stepped up their training schedules to train management, ex-management to do our work. At this point in time, there have not been any discussions on wages or any other contractual items. The IBEW has requested numerous documents over the last five weeks to begin costing out our proposals. We have been having updates every night on our unions informational tape to cover the previous days bargaining activities and will continue to do so. There will be times when assistant business manager John Kelly and assistant manager Craig Fields will be traveling back and forth to New York over the next few weeks to assist the IBEW Business Managers in the negotiating process. I would also like to mention that in Washington, the IBEW & CWA mid-Atlantic unions are also having regional bargaining with Verizon for the old Bell Atlantic footprint. Their discussions are going exactly the same.
The company has told the IBEW today that any plans to force or canvass volunteer SST’s with no line experience temporarily into the OPT line department is not going to happen… at least for now. They told the unions that they didn’t have it in the budget. This statement by Verizon today goes against their assessments Verizon made to the unions three weeks ago when Verizon laid out a plan to alleviate the line work that is not getting done. This is an example of why every member, especially OPT’s should be getting involved in COPE. The IBEW has been using the help of every politician at every level of Government local, state and federal to help us get things fixed that Verizon is not doing. If you’re not actively involved in COPE by volunteering to help and giving a weekly donation, you are not doing everything you can to secure your job and provide the best benefits you can for you and your family. Times have been changing over the last eight years since we became Verizon and this company is determined to break all the unions and put us on the same playing field as GTE – the most notorious non-union telecommunications carrier prior to the merger with Bell Atlantic & NYNEX.
We need to stick together and support the unions and each other. Begin mobilizing in your workplace.
February 29, 2008 I would like to thank all those IBEW Local 2321 members that showed up today for our Contract 2008 Mobilization Rolling Rally in Lawrence as we stood side-by-side with the local politicians from the area and the many union members and union leaders from other IBEW & CWA locals. I am impressed that the members in Lawrence support each other as their new second level foreman continues to use harassment and intimidation as his motivator. This is our motivation to stand tall and support each other and it has spurred this garage to begin our mobilizing in the local. We will be planning events at different locations and we will be utilizing our friends in state and local government to support our causes. We will be closely monitoring the situation in Lawrence and if the intimidation continues, the Rolling Rally will be dispatched to locations other than the work locations to garner support from the communities in which we represent members. Please continue to support each other as your union begins to explore contract talks with Verizon. I’m optimistic that with your continued support we will be successful in our endeavors I attended the Stop-the-Sale & Contract 2008 mobilization rally at Verizon Headquarters in New York City on Thursday June 28th and met with a delegation of IBEW & CWA union leaders from all over the country as well as many union members who all stressed that the relations with Verizon management at the present time is very, very strained. The general consensus is that the “Network” is not happy! We are the network! We are the Verizon unionized employees who built and maintain the network and infrastructure that supply the communication services to our customers and we are not happy. There was a very large crowd protesting the sale in the Northern States and also to show their support of the Verizon Business Technicians who want to unionize.
IBEW 2321’s Business Manager Ed Starr and President John Kelly joined the other Massachusetts IBEW Locals on Tuesday June 4th at the Statehouse to help support the Massachusetts Cable Choice & Competition Act as it was discussed on Beacon Hill. The IBEW has been pushing legislation that would shift control of the cable franchising process from local to state officials, telling legislators that the current system is a major obstacle to competition. The IBEW 2321’s position is that in addition to providing consumers with a superior choice to cable TV, internet, and phone services this bill would allow Verizon to continue spending more investment dollars in Massachusetts building out the Verizon network which keeps good jobs with good benefits in our local.
Business Manager: Ed Starr
Thank you to all of the members who took the time to attend the April 19th mobilization rally. With our contract expiring in August of 2008, it was encouraging to see a large group of IBEW 2321 and CWA 1400 members invest their time wisely to participate in their futures. A very large crowd heard the political leaders from the Merrimack Valley community as well as the Massachusetts AFL-CIO commit to this local that our fight is their fight. Following the guest speakers was a presentation on the obstacles in our future as the membership was informed on the Northern States Stop-the-Sale efforts, the work being lost to Verizon Business, the Future of FiOS in Massachusetts, and the outlook for our next contract in 2008.
Take the time to participate in the events that help shape your future.
Remember, the job you save may be your own!
Workers Memorial Day
Decades of struggle by workers and their unions have resulted in significant improvements in working conditions. But the toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths remains enormous. Each year, thousands of workers are killed and millions more are injured or diseased because of their jobs. The unions of the AFL-CIO remember these workers on April 28, Workers Memorial Day.
Informational & Mobilization Rally Thursday April 19, 2007 6:00PM Lawrence Elks 652 Andover Street Lawrence, MA. 01843 Bring your Verizon Proxies to the meeting!
Verizon's annual shareholders meeting will be held in Pittsburgh, PA, on May 3rd. Proxies will be arriving in the mail shortly. IBEW Local 2321 will be delivering your proxy to Verizon.
Please bring your proxy to the April 19th Mobilization & Informational meeting or return them to your union steward by April 25th. Every member working in the field should be aware that Verizon management is watching and scrutinizing every technician. Please be aware of this and think, work, and act like a union member. We have customers who want our services and we need to service the customer, so if there is any technician having problems in the field with this please call the union office and we will work to get the problem resolved. We will be bringing the Stewards in to sit with the Fios third level managers next week to hopefully resolve some issues in the field. IBEW & CWA Verizon Business Organizing CampaignVerizon Business technicians in New York and New England signed a majority of union cards allowing the IBEW & CWA to be their authorized representatives for collective bargaining purposes. The IBEW President Ed Hill and the CWA President Larry Cohen petitioned Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg requesting that he recognize the decision of these employees to join a union and begin negotiations of a collective bargaining agreement to allow the non-union Verizon Business technicians to become union members of the IBEW and CWA.
Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg’s response to the IBEW and CWA President’s was that Verizon Business is a separate entity and not subject to contractual provisions of both the IBEW and CWA with regards to neutrality and card check recognition provisions. At the next two Unit meetings, we will have candidates for political offices in Andover, Lynn and Tewksbury attending the COPE meeting and addressing those in attendance. By endorsing political candidates and working to see that they are elected is vital to our unions success in the communities that we serve. We have begun meeting with the elected officials from the Merrimack Valley to address our concerns with the possible loss of work due to the sale of the Northern States. This sale will affect every union local throughout New England and we want to make sure that this membership has the support from their community leaders. The response has been encouraging and we will continue to meet with the politicians throughout the local. IBEW Local 2321 could use your help by supporting the COPE committee. Please call the hall if you have any questions or concerns. I would also ask that any member who has a relative, friend or neighbor who is an elected official within our locals jurisdiction, please contact me and we can arrange to have a meeting and possibly an endorsement from our COPE committee. You are the union and your participation is crucial for the continued success of the IBEW. We have a series of meetings scheduled over the next three weeks with Verizon management to discuss the many issues with the implementation of Fios in Massachusetts as well as the future of Fios in Massachusetts. It has become apparent that Verizon management has mismanaged the business with respect to servicing the Verizon customer. Verizon has emasculated their management work-force to the point where their decision making process is flawed as they have effectively run this business into the ground. Instead of working with the unions to resolve issues and come up with solutions, Verizon management has failed in every respect over the last three years to establish a working relationship with the unions to move this company forward. There are many rumors circulating around New England regarding the future of Fios. At this point in time we have no definitive answers. However, with the potential sale of the Northern States and the major business customers being forced off of the Verizon unionized network and onto the non-union Verizon Business network, the unions face an unprecedented attack on our standard of living. We need to be more active as union members and stand up and fight for what we have. A sense of urgency towards these issues should be paramount for every union member. Our success depends upon your participation.
We have met with the Union leaders from the IBEW & CWA unions in the Northern States and have committed to working with them as they fight the assault on our livelihood. The sale of the unionized Verizon workforce and assets in the Northern States is not good and the ramifications to every New England local are not known at this time; however I would like to point out that every local in New England could be adversely impacted by this sale. We have begun the process of meeting with the politicians who represent the areas in the Merrimack Valley and North Shore. The message we are conveying is that this sale is no good for the consumer and this local in particular stands to lose a significant amount of work unless we can get some assurances from Verizon. Every member needs to realize that parts of this company can and will be sold off in Massachusetts if we don’t get active. We encourage every member to make every effort to attend union meetings and participate in the unions activities as we mobilize for our next contract which is do to expire next August. We are planning a mobilization rally and special informational meeting for this local sometime in mid-march. When we have a specific date, we will inform this membership. Also, we are also planning to have a bus to bring members from IBEW Local 2321 up to the rally on March 3rd in Maine. Remember to work, think, and act like a union member! Ed StarrIBEW & CWA Unions Oppose Verizon’s Proposed Sale Of New England Operations
On January 16th, Verizon announced the proposed sale of access lines, and telecommunication infrastructure in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont to form a newly created entity operated by Fairpoint Communications of North Carolina. The IBEW firmly believes that Verizon has taken this step to eliminate the unionized workforce. The only groups being sold are the unionized sectors while the non-unionized sectors remain intact in these states. This announcement has caused alarm for not only the members in the Northern States but everywhere in New England. Every member of this local should be willing to sacrifice and play a part in this defining moment of our solidarity. We cannot rest as the corporation we have built attempts to erode our bargaining power and eliminate our brothers and sisters in the Northern States. Their fight is our fight. Every member of this local should prepare for a full mobilization effort as the IBEW T6 council will employ strategies to take Verizon on. IBEW Local 2321 has begun to mobilize and we have already made sure that are interests are made aware of to our political allies that we have in this state. We are asking for your support and we could use everyone’s help and participation. Remember to work, think and act like a union member.
Ed Starr Business ManagerThere are many changes taking place all over Verizon in New England with regards to the way Verizon does business. Theses changes have also disrupted the work locations. Unfortunately, the company has not been cooperative when it comes to asking for the unions’ input in implementing the necessary changes to move this company forward. We ask that each IBEW 2321 member recognize this and continue to work with the stewards and union hall to help rectify any problems.
Avaya members should be aware that two HMO's, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in Massachusetts, and Horizon BC/BS of New Jersey, opted to end their participation, and DID NOT bid for contracts with Avaya for 2007. If you were assigned, or have opted into the Point Of Service (POS), it is imperative you select a Primary Care Physician (PCP) for yourself and each of your dependents who will be covered under the Plan. This is just an additional reminder. Effective January 1, 2007, co-pays for ANY doctor, other than a selected PCP will be $30, while the co-pay for your PCP will only be $20. COPE
Any member who would like to help IBEW Local 2321 become more active in political and legislative activism is encouraged to get involved and become a member of our COPE Committee. With our contract due to expire in August of 2008, this local must become more active in COPE which in turn gives IBEW Local 2321 a stronger political voice and that makes us a more powerful, more effective union. The local's goals for COPE include passing legislation that protects our jobs and our wages, electing politicians who stand with us and our issues, organizing workers and winning good contracts for all of us. Refer to our COPE link on this web site for more information on the IBEW Local 2321 COPE Committee.
(OBGYN's need not be designated and will not be considered specialists)
It is possible your current HMO Doctor may also participate in the POS but you MUST designate him/her as your PCP with Aetna Member Services for Avaya at 877-508-6927 BEFORE your first visit in the New Year. Call your existing doctor's office and ask if they participate in Avaya's Aetna POS Plan. The Avaya POS plan is "Aetna Choice POS II (Open Access)". You can also verify participation and/or find a NEW DOCTOR by accessing www.Aetna.com/docfind.
(Since you will not be an Aetna member until January 1, 2007, you will not have access to Aetnanavigator.com, but DocFind is accessible beforehand)
If you have questions regarding this, or any Avaya Health Benefit matters, please call Bob Karolewski, IBEW National Health Care Coordinator for AVAYA at 732-849-9661.
SAFETY All outside technicians should adhere to all the safety procedures that are available to us. Workers should NOT compromise their safety because their supervisor is trying to save the company money. Any work operation that requires a second person should continue to do so. The union is finding that some areas will take shortcuts with regards to safety because they are being advised to do so by their managers. The Union is reminding all SST’s that per our contract; Unless working in a known work location and an aerial lift is provided or performing work operations after dark, or if working in any location that has heavy vehicular or pedestrian traffic, ice or snow conditions, narrowing roadway or high speed traffic; a second person is required. ANY IBEW union member that feels that they are being forced to compromise their safety please talk with your steward AND calls the union office.
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