Business Managers Report - February 22, 2012
Business Managers Report Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Bargaining has resumed in Rye, New York as we have been at the bargaining table since mid-June, 2011. Currently, the IBEW & CWA continue to formulate proposals and counter-proposals, concentrating on Healthcare, Call Sharing, and jobs. Although both the company and the unions are discussing these issues, we are far from any contract, there has been nothing at all agreed to. As long as the job security, movement of work, pensions, and contracting of work issues remain on the table, it is difficult to come to any reasonable and fair compromise on healthcare or call sharing. We will keep working the issues with the hopes of finding some common ground that is fair to both sides. As soon as we have any significant developments, we will report them to this membership. At the present time, there has been no surplus or IPP announcement given to the unions. We anticipate that there will be a budgetary surplus announcement, but again no information on job titles or locations have been provided yet. There has already been a surplus announced in IBEW 2322 local, where the company will be offering an EIPP and moving technicians off of the Cape and into other garages. We do not anticipate any movement if and when a surplus is announced in the rest of the IBEW locals. Once the unions have been officially notified, we will report that information on the union web-site and the union tape. Please, remember our three union brothers who were terminated for alleged strike activity. As I have reported, we are fighting for these members by filing Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). An investigation is underway by the NLRB investigators and we are confident that the same conclusions will be reached by the NLRB investigator as the union came to in our investigation. These members should not be disciplined and they violated no laws of concerted protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act. Once again, thank you for your support and solidarity with these members and their families. The IBEW & CWA have filed position papers with the Federal Communications Commission on the Verizon spectrum deal with the cable companies. The unions are calling for specific conditions to be imposed require that Verizon continue to offer FiOS broadband Internet access service, expand its in-region deployment to cover at least 95 percent of residences and, following the merger, continue to deploy a set percentage of broadband to rural and low income areas, with timetables, data reporting and penalties for non-compliance. The unions are urging the FCC to review this proposed transaction and address the effect on competition, consumers and jobs by setting conditions to ensure the deal is in the public interest. Thank you for the overwhelming show of support as we fight the many challenges we are faced with. As most of you already know, the IBEW & CWA unions all over the country are under attack from Verizon. There is no respect from Verizon for the unions or the workers. Unfortunately, all of the union locals are forced into arbitration and mediation on grievances that the company used to work with the unions to settle the issues. The agenda is to keep the unions busy with discipline and other workplace issues. The result has been devastating on the morale of the workforce and the workers are disenfranchised with Verizon. Senior Verizon management is only concerned with the bottom line and Wall Street. Again, thank you for your support and solidarity, and remember that all of us make up the union, so if people ask, what is the union doing for me, you need to remind them that they are the union and what are you doing for the union. It is all about survival as a workforce and together we fight for our rights in the workplace. Keep up the great work and remember that you are a union member! Fraternally, Ed Starr, Esq.
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