Regional Bargaining Report # 29

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

CWA District 1/IBEW Local 2213 and IBEW New England Regional Committees spent Tuesday and Wednesday at the Rye Town Hilton in Westchester.

However, no formal bargaining took place with Verizon.   Several hours of off-the-record conversations were conducted.  The talks have ended for this week and the bargaining teams are returning to their locals.  Further bargaining dates are being scheduled for next week.

While the tone of the conversations was somewhat better than talks prior to expiration, the company HAS NOT GOTTEN OFF A SINGLE ONE OF ITS CONCESSIONARY DEMANDS.  Among those demands are:

• Elimination of Job Security

·         Thousands of dollars in increased health care costs to actives and retirees

·         Forcing you to choose between a Defined Benefit pension that will be frozen at 30 years, or an enhanced 401(k) plan

·         Elimination of Accident Disability

·         Elimination of the Family Care Leave

·         Elimination COLA

·         Increased Contracting

·         And more…

Now is the time to intensify our Mobilization efforts.  This is the time to follow all the directions you receive from your local unions.  This is the time to turn out to workplace rallies that will take place across the northeast tomorrow.  We have a plan and we are executing it.  We will continue to pressure this company until a fair contract is won.

We want to congratulate all the locals that did such a spectacular job on the PSC hearings over these past few weeks.  Turnouts, press conferences, worker and consumer testimony, and accompanying press coverage, were all spectacular! We are expecting another great night in Albany tomorrow.  With our community allies we are sending a powerful message that the PSC must take a new, more pro-consumer, more pro-worker approach towards dealing with Verizon.

We know that working without a contract is challenging and that sacrifices have to be made.  But at this time your Bargaining Team believes that we are pursuing the most effective available strategy.  Keep up the good work and …

MOBILIZE,

MOBILIZE,

MOBILIZE!!!