Below is the list of the surplus declarations by job titles announced by Verizon 

for the Potomac Region. 

Please be aware that there has been no date assigned to this surplus.

The Company intends to offer EISP. Volunteers will be accepted as necessary to meet
business needs. Information as to package distribution, volunteer period and
last days worked for accepted volunteers for EISP is to be determined. 

In the judgment of the Company, it is unlikely that EISP will be

sufficient to meet its force reduction needs.  In that event, the Company intends to invoke 

the force adjustment provisions under Article 35 of the General Agreement which may require 
part-timing, reassignment to lower paid job titles or classifications, involuntary transfer which
 necessitates a change in residence and termination or layoff of regular employees with a 
net credited service date of August 3, 2003 or later.

Again there has been no date assigned to this surplus. More information will

follow later in the week. There will be a "Committee of 8" meeting this

week in New York.  We will advise you of any additional information as we receive it.

 

Reps. Hodes, Slaughter Working To Close RMT Tax Loophole

Reps. Paul Hodes, D-NH, and Louise Slaughter, D-NY, are asking their House colleagues to close the Reverse Morris Trust (RMT) tax loophole, a massive corporate giveaway that threatens consumers and workers alike. RMT is a tax-avoidance technique that companies such as Verizon use to sell off unwanted assets without paying taxes on their gains.

State regulators and legislators in several states currently are warily eyeing a proposed $8.6 billion landline deal, which would allow under-financed Frontier Communications to acquire from Verizon 4.8 million landlines in 14 states.

“One recent Reverse Morris Trust transaction provides a prime example of the dangers of this loophole,” Hodes and Slaughter write in a “Dear Colleague” letter. “Despite serious concerns from the public and members of the New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont Congressional delegation, Verizon used the Reverse Morris Trust to avoid taxes on a similar transaction with FairPoint Communications in the three New England states two years ago. The result has been unprecedented consumer complaints being lodged with state regulators. Last October, FairPoint declared bankruptcy, leaving uncertainty for the future of telephone service across all three states, and potentially putting at risk the compensation and benefits of thousands of employees.”

We at CWA believe it is ridiculous to use federal tax dollars to underwrite the sale of telephone lines to a financially weaker company which threatens our job security and leaves customers worse than before. Instead, federal tax dollars should be used to finance a world class broadband network.

On Friday Verizon announced that they were declaring a surplus of 12,000 employees in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Potomac areas. We received an email last night that they notified the District 2 office late on Friday. They are in the process of going through the data. There is not a start date for the current surplus that Verizon is declaring. Once the district goes through the information they will send out the details to all locals and we will share that information when we receive it.   

The company has also advised the District that they want to meet with the unions to discuss the surplus. While we are open to discussions we will also resist the continuing efforts to  unnecessarily cut-back operations that negatively impact service quality and the quality of our members and their families.

The District 2 office will let all locals know the results of the meetings and we in turn will share that information with you.  We are in the fight of our lives. We know this is another round in the current battle that may well climax in our August 2011 negotiations.


 






 

The Local received the following information last night, February 24th, regarding the upcoming CPS. The 2009 CPS payout is $770. It will pay, under the terms of Article 17, on March 5. Any questions please contact your Local Steward or call the Local Office.

COPAY WAIVER FOR NEW GENERIC PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED BY MAIL AT VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS

As you will recall last year, CWA agreed to participate in a voluntary program to encourage members to use generic drugs at mail-order.  As a result many CWA members participated in the program and saved money for both the company and themselves.  Due to its success, the ACHC requested Medco offer the program again and they have agreed to do so.

Under the program, Medco will offer a one-time co pay waiver for new Generic prescriptions filled at by mail.  These new prescriptions could come from a number of different sources, all of which would receive the copay waiver: 

-              retail generic user who converts that prescription to mail

-              retail brand user who converts that prescription to a generic

               alternative at mail

-              mail brand user who converts that prescription to a generic

               alternative

-              new to therapy use who fills that first prescription as a

               generic at mail

This program is 100% voluntary.  Members do not have to participate unless they want to and there is no penalty if they do not participate. Information regarding the waiver period will be provided in the near future.