Verizon Regional Bargaining Report # 61

The Union and the Company met today. The Union requested the meeting to again clarify our members’ issues for the Company. We explained how it appears Tami Erwin and Lowell McAdam don’t seem to understand what is going on at this table as they visit picket lines throughout the North and Mid-Atlantic Regions.

We highlighted our demands for additional jobs and work, improvements in the treatment of our members on the job, pension improvements and improvements in the RAMP process. We also addressed comments made by McAdam on our picket lines where he accuses the Union of providing false information to our members. Lowell told members that Vz. is not taking away job security and all of that stuff is just BS. We asked the Company to confirm who is correct – Lowell or what the Company has on the table. Vz. denied seeing the video and advised we have its proposal.

McAdam specifically stated to the picketers, the Company wants us to take the calls from customers and not the vendors. Yet when asked at the bargaining table the Company’s Chair clearly stated the Company’s call sharing proposal is intended to increase their ability to contract out our call center work, including moving that work out of the country.

How can you even begin to trust these people when they can’t even get their stories straight when feeding a line of crap to our members on the picket lines? Maybe if they focused more on making meaningful proposals rather than trying to confuse people with their corporate double talk we might have had a contract by now. Both unions continue to be available to have constructive discussions associated with this contract to negotiate improvement for our members.

Keep up the tremendous work we hear about all across the Mid-Atlantic. Your actions and activity are what is going to win this fight and by all accounts your participation is having the intended impact that we need.

There is a rally in MD, on Wednesday, April 20th. All members not otherwise engaged with picket assignments are encouraged to attend. Lunch will be provided. Please call your Local for details.

Squirrel Force Five has a message for all of our mobile teams. “KEEP ON FLOSSING”.