Negotiations are under way with Verizon and the CWA, Communication Workers of America) to strike a retirement deal before Midnight on Saturday or the Verizon Staff will go on strike. That means there will be around 17 people handling the jobs of 200. So if you want something done you had better do so before Saturday evening!
It also means if you want to upgrade or downgrade your phone system during that time, GOOD LUCK!
Once again, news and information you're NOT seeing on the 6:00 News and or the Daily Times. You've got to get up pretty early in the morning to keep up with Salisbury News!
CWA/IBEW VERIZON/VCSI BARGAINING UPDATE #34: 7-29-08
The Unions and the Company met today and the Unions presented counter proposals in response to their proposals presented yesterday. The meeting recessed while the Company prepares a response. We are entering the final hours and still are very far apart on reaching an agreement. This round of bargaining has had fewer issues on the table than any other in memory, but it has more major issues on the table than any before.
We are negotiating for the future of our members. We are resisting cost shifting on a healthcare plan that is expected to cost $30,000 per year for a family in 2011.
We are fighting for our retiree healthcare in a world that has almost abandoned retiree healthcare.
We are fighting for employment security.
We are fighting for new jobs in Verizon while the Company is staunchly against the expansion of Union jobs.
We are fighting for work jurisdiction while the Company is determined to subcontract.
These are the issues that are on the table and the issues that secure our futures. They are worth fighting for. We are fighting for these things at the bargaining table and we may soon be taking the fight to the street. Everyone should be ready.
Locals are advised to communicate with retirees. Some retirees are being contacted by the Company and are asked to work in the event of a strike. We need them to understand that they cannot possibly earn enough money to pay for the health care premiums the Company is demanding at the table. The bottom line is that if retirees help the Company kill retiree healthcare they will have worked for free.
Once more we caution our members not to pay attention to rumors. Your supervisor, manager, or director has no information about bargaining whatsoever. Our bargaining reports are accurate and timely and the only reliable source of information. We believe that a completely informed membership is our best weapon.
In Solidarity,
The Officers of CWA Local 2106
Paula, Paul, Kerry & Georgia
12 comments:
Go ahead and go on strike. Who cares. What are we going to miss? - Good service?? Customer consideration?? Yeah, right.
Joe,
THANK YOU for reporting the FACTS on our bargaining. Unlike Froggy 99.9 who is poking fun at us and not asking our union president what the facts are. There are 500 jobs in our area alone on the line. That is alot of people who could be out of work. So that would be alot less money going to local businesses. Especially those businesses who advertise on local radio stations!
Proud union member!
i remember a few years ago when verizon went on strike, the result i recall was cutback on jobs. unions dont care about their people, only the money they bring in to give to the higher ups. remember dresser wayne? or crown cork and seal?
those unions protected helped thier workers right into the unemployment line.
unions had a place at one time, it over, they need to go the way of the dinosaur
Health care costing $30,000 per family by 20ll???? I doubt that.
Good thing Comcast is scheduled to come here on Saturday to change me over to their 3 package deal for $114 a month.
That's $5 less than what they quoted me when I inquired. Even with the added fee for PAC-14 I'll save at least $500 a year.
Keep up the good work on that story G. A., for now I will have to live with it, it's a matter of economics. Verizon has been outsourcing so many jobs is another reason I'm kissing them off.
A good health insurance policy costs at least $8000 a year now. There are even better plans that cost more.
Retired military probably the best insurance and lowest co-pays going.
Oh yeah that's $8000 for a single person
I pay $5900 a year for husband and wife coverage / NOT through my employer. BlueCross BlueShield - just go to their website and check for yourself. Health insurance is NOT $30,000 a year.
Verizon is "self insured"; they do not pay for insurance policies. Their current cost quote for health care per employee is $24,000 and the $30,000 in 2011 is their cost projection. Verizon's profit last year was 5.5 BILLION DOLLARS. Their top 5 execs got paid 82 Million with health care for life. Now Verizon wants to take away healthcare for the employees and retirees who built the network and the company. We are tired of the corporate greed.
8:16....you dont have a clue what your talking about! dresser and crown built plants in mexico....thats where the friggin jobs went....not to mention the asbestos problems with dresser...thats why SU hasnt bought it. You've never worked with a union or you'd never say what you did....your just repeating lies. Unity is exactly what our country needs now more than ever....you think polititions could get away with all this crap if we could unite? Look at salisbury's elections alone! Look at this blog and how people have united and look at the changes going on....UNITY!!!! UNITED PEOPLE OF AMERICA!!!! STATES EVEN!!!
hip.boots
I agree that 8:16 is repeating the same tired old anti-union line without thinking. There are good unions and bad ones.
If you see a bad union, saying "no unions!" is saying "let the corporate fox take care of the chickens" IF you see a bad union, help create a better union.
Saying "some unions are bad, so lets eliminate unions" is like saying, "some people in Congress are corrupt, so let's eliminate congress and have a monarchy" instead of saying "let's change the laws so as to reduce corruption by making it harder to buy influence over congress"...same very confused "logic" in both cases
By the way I speak as someone who has had horrible service from Verizon and it's not the employees fault. How do I know? Each employee has been VERY helpful but it's the "one hand doesn't know what the other hand is going" mess over there..bad MANAGEMENT in other words..
anonymous 11:49 I don't question your insurance may be cheaper however Blue Cross has um-teen different plans. What's your deductable? What's your co-pay for Dr. and meds? That is none of my business however is my point. They have a plan for just about every budget, it just costs more "out of pocket."
Where I work we have 3 tiers of Blue Cross insurance to choose from.
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