News

Verizon Bargaining 2011: Report # 70

13 Jun, 2012

Last week and 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 on the issues of Job Security and Call Sharing. There were also several off table discussions with leadership and the Company chairs regarding these same issues. Both Regional committees presented the company with counter proposals on the Company’s issue of Call Sharing last week. The Union’s proposals looked to provide flexibility the Company is demanding within call centers that handle similar calls from customers. In return the Union demands a return of the work from contractors to the bargaining units. Last Friday, the Company made a counterproposal to the Union on Call Sharing. The Company’s counter proposal has two options. The first option will be on the table until June 25th and then will be withdrawn and a second, less desirable proposal, option 2 will remain as the company’s proposal. The Unions are evaluating an appropriate response to the company’s proposal.

The Company responded to other Union proposals as well. In MidAtlantic, the company rejected the Union’s counterproposal to a Company proposal on an amendment to the Medical Restriction Policy. The Company also rejected both Union’s counter proposals on Absence.

Your Union Bargaining team is working hard and is committed to finding ways to address both the concerns of the Company and the needs of our members in this round of negotiations. The Company continues to have only one goal, givebacks. Their agenda continues to include retrogressive demands across virtually every area of our contracts from job security to pensions and work rules. To show just how heartless this company can be, last week Verizon announced a surplus of over 1700 jobs. The company has offered buyouts throughout the East bargaining units and has targeted technicians and call center workers. Both IBEW in New England and New Jersey Local 827 received notices of involuntary layoffs if enough employees do not accept the voluntary offers. This announcement just highlights this company’s agenda and its lack of concern regarding the loss of jobs and continued flow of work to unrepresented contractors. Verizon is doing more than its part to destroy middle class jobs in this country. 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.