Verizon Bargaining 2011: Report # 64

The Mid-Atlantic Committee met with the Company several times this week in Rye, New York. Verizon continues to demand give backs from our members. We will say it again; Verizon still has all their give back demands on the table. These are not minor adjustments. These changes will affect every member’s standard of living.

We cannot express our disappointment in Verizon’s total unwillingness to take our demands seriously. The Company has focused only on their demands. Make no mistake that your bargaining team is determined to get this Company to address our demands. We need everyone to participate in mobilization activities. We can go about our daily lives as if nothing is wrong since this is the easier approach. In reality though, we are in the fight of our lives and need the support of every member if we are going to win this fight.

Some of the givebacks the company demands are as follows:

• Eliminate all Job Security
• Freeze pensions for current employees with no pension for future hires
• Implement extensive changes to healthcare with substantial increases including the addition of contributions for premiums
• Force Retirees to pay Heath Care Premiums
• Discontinue the pension lump sum cash out provisions
• Significantly increase the amount of work that can be permanently transferred
• Force Transfers from 35 miles to 85 miles in addition to changes in established work rules
• Remove the Contracting Initiatives Letter of Agreement to allow unlimited contracting at any time
• Implement Call Sharing to greater erode bargaining unit call center work and allow the Company to send more work to contractors
• Have a Commission Sales Compensation Plan placing a percentage of existing pay at risk and creating a new job title
• Limit the number of sick days
• Increase the number of forced overtime hours
• Eliminate the 18% allowed vacation
• Eliminate Short Notice Excused Work Days
• Decrease Corporate Profit Sharing
• Eliminate or Change Differentials
• Eliminate Accident Disability Benefits
• Shorten the time for Short Term Disability Eliminate the Independent Medical Examination and Functional Capacity Exam processes
• Work at Home Arrangements including a Company provided camera to spy on you
• Home Garaging at management’s discretion
• Electronic Recording of Calls
• The Elimination of Certain Commercial and Marketing Letters of Agreement

We all need to take this round of bargaining very seriously. It has been ten (10) months and the Company is continuing to do what it wants in the field. They are reinterpreting the contract and taking actions to force the Unions to file grievances and arbitrate issues we have won in the past. They are sending more and more calls to contractors while Consultants sit idle in our service centers. They deliberately do not give notice to the Unions of changes in work place practices. The Company has even tried to implement some of their bargaining issues before we have reached final agreements. While Verizon continues to contract out more of your work, it is important that you do not take unpaid excused time. The bottom line is that the Company has a plan that does not include us. NOW IS YOUR TIME TO TAKE A STAND or we will all suffer the consequences.