News

Verizon Bargaining 2011: Report # 68

18 May, 2012

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 and discussed the issues of Job Security and Call Sharing. There were also several off table discussions with Union leadership and the Company chairs regarding these same issues. The Company continues to demand the elimination of Job Security, elimination of the Movement of Work Protection, elimination of the 35 mile transfer provision and the elimination of New Contracting Initiatives agreement. Both Regional committees also met throughout the week to work on joint proposals for the Company’s Call Sharing proposal and the Union’s Jobs proposal. Formal bargaining has recessed until Tuesday, May 29th.

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. 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.

The following Press Release from CWA demonstrates how CWA and IBEW will not stand by and allow this greedy corporation to abuse our members and break the law. CWA presented 63 discipline cases to the NLRB. At this time they have authorized complaints on 58 cases. This is a significant statement about Verizon's unlawful actions.

NLRB Region 2 Authorizes Issuance of Complaint Against Verizon for Unfair Firings, Discipline

Washington, D.C. -- National Labor Relation Board Region 2 has authorized the issuance of a complaint against Verizon Communications for its actions in disciplining and firing workers following the two-week strike by union members last August.

Regional Director Karen Fernbach authorized the complaint for 58 of the 63 cases brought by the Communications Workers of America, following an investigation in Verizon’s actions.

“This is tremendous news for workers who have faced harsh discipline, even firing, from Verizon, that was completely unwarranted,” said Ron Collins, CWA chief of staff.

“This fight has been about economic justice from the beginning. Some 45,000 CWA and IBEW members spent two weeks on the picket line to force this $100 billion company to bargain fairly not continue to demand givebacks of $1 billion a year.

“Progressive allies and the 99 percent spring coalition are standing with us as workers continue to fight against Verigreedy Verizon and corporate greed across our country. We won’t stop now,” he said.

Jennifer Travis, a 15-year Verizon employee in Pittsburgh, Pa., never once was disciplined or written up, but was unfairly fired last August by Verizon.

Here’s her story: “A couple days after the strike began, I took my husband and 2 of my 3 kids with me to the picket line. For us, being union is all in the family!

“There were a lot of us on the picket line that day. Management was bringing scabs across the line to work our jobs. We were loud and boisterous, but peaceful. The company says that I assaulted a manager. Those are outrageous and false allegations.

“Mine was not an isolated incident. Several of my brothers and sisters were fired or disciplined last August for similarly trumped up charges. What many of us have in common is our highly visible status as union leaders and activists. It makes me wonder if the company retaliated against us in an effort to intimidate other members who would consider standing up for their union in the future. If true, that’s flat out bullying and it’s disgusting.”

The regional director’s action is the first step of the NLRB process. Now Region 2 will seek to negotiate with Verizon to settle these cases.

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