News

Verizon Bargaining 2011: Report # 47

The Mid-Atlantic Bargaining team spent the day reviewing the Company’s first counter-proposal since returning to the bargaining table. Below are just a few of the “low-lights” from the proposal:

  • No Wage Increase Offer and No retroactivity on any negotiated items
  • Sales Commission Plan for Consultants
  • Significantly increase deductibles, co-pays and implement premium sharing for the Health Care Plans
  • Eliminate the HCBC & RHCBC positions
  • Significantly increase co-pays in our prescription drug benefit plan
  • Major diminishment in our benefits including Incidental Absence, Short Term Disability and Medically Restricted Plans
  • Eliminate the Pension Plan
  • Eliminate the Pension Cash Out Option
  • Eliminate the Sickness Death Benefit
  • Eliminate the Job Security Protections
  • Increase the movement of work provision to 5%
  • Change the contractual relocation provision to any move more than 85 miles
  • Increase the forced Overtime limits
  • Reduce evening and night differential payments and eliminate Saturday differentials altogether
  • Eliminate Short Notice Excused Days and the 18% vacation provision
  • Allow Electronic Recording of Calls
  • The company offer failed to address the return of bargaining unit work from any of the contractors doing our work. These are the jobs across every discipline in our bargaining units that must come back to our members.

Our bargaining reports have continually stressed the importance of ramping up mobilization activities across the footprint. Members must realize their impact at home and in the workplace has the most affect at the bargaining table. Everyone has to realize that if the company has its way, what we have today can and will be gone tomorrow.

The union has taken a tremendous amount of time and effort to present a proposal that addresses our concerns while incorporating the company’s top bargaining priorities. This counter proposal again demonstrates the company’s complete lack of concern for the unions’ bargaining priorities.

We will continue to review this counter-proposal from the company, however we feel this should give every active and retired member an idea of just exactly how the company feels and the future they want for you and your family.

Members must prepare for what they may be called upon to do following these recent events.