Mid-Atlantic Regional Bargaining Report #56
January 20, 2012

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Bargaining Team met with the Company in Rye, NY this week. The Union presented the Company with a counter-proposal on pensions addressing concerns brought to the table by both sides in earlier proposals.
The Union Call Sharing sub-committees from the NY/NE and Mid-Atlantic tables met to discuss the Company’s most recent proposal on that subject. We identified many items in the Company proposal that needed clarification. Following our meeting together, each committee then met with Company and their subject matter expert for him to explain the rationale behind this recent proposal. We were NOT surprised to hear the Company response to some of our questions. We then made several data requests to the Company about the proposal in order to get a better understanding of the exact impact this proposal would have on our region. We are waiting on the Company’s response to our requests.
We also met this week with a Company subject matter expert on the pension plan. We had many questions concerning the Mid-Atlantic Pension Plan funding and participants. While many of our questions were answered, others were left open with the Company having to get back to us.
The Mid-Atlantic Union committee made several other counter-proposals to the Company this week and we are awaiting their response.
The talks have recessed and will reconvene next week. This round of negotiations is proving to be one of the most difficult any of us have ever experienced. Management has moved very little from their original demands. Only a renewed commitment from every member and retiree, to bring pressure through mobilization, both in the workplace and outside of the workplace, will make management see we are not giving in on our commitment to good union jobs with decent healthcare and a secure future. Contact your Local and renew your commitment today.
We will send more updates as we move forward at the bargaining table.

VCSI Bargaining Report # 38

January 12, 2012

Your VCS Bargaining Team met with the Company last week and again this week  and to date there has been no real progress in resolving our many differences.  During this period of negotiations your Committee has made numerous attempts to find some common ground that we can agree to with the Company that will move each of you forward so that you and your family can continue the way of life that you have come to enjoy and one that you certainly deserve.  To date, if VCS got their way everyone would move backwards and immediately be hit with a reversal of the standard of living that each of you have worked so hard to achieve for yourself and your family.  We cannot allow the Company to accomplish their goal to reverse many years of progress that we have experienced and send us back to the mid 90’s and the formation of this Company.  Everyone has fought hard through the years to get us to where we are today and we cannot allow the GREED of this Company to send each of us back to the dark ages as it relates to our employment history.  We must stick together and continue to show this Company where they can put their RETROGRESSIVE demands and clearly let them know that we will not allow them to destroy our future with VCS.  We still need each of you on a daily basis to let this Company know THAT WE WILL NOT GO BACK.  We must continue to pressure the Company and part of that pressure must be directed at the Verizon Wireless Stores in your area.  We must be out there at these Stores, under the direction of your Local, passing out flyers to the general public on a daily basis letting them know what Verizon is attempting to do to all of us and about their GREED.  If we do this at these Stores the Company will begin to feel the results of our efforts.  THIS IS A MUST!!  Thanks for your support up to now and with your continued support WE WILL PREVAIL!!  We will meet again with the Company the week of January 23rd

IT’S TIME TO TAKE BACK THE MIDDLE CLASS!!

STAY STRONG – STAY UNITED!!!

It’s all about good Union Jobs!!!!

MOBILIZE – MOBILIZE - MOBILIZE

Mid-Atlantic Regional Bargaining Report #55

January 11, 2012

The Mid-Atlantic and New York/New England Bargaining Teams met this morning to review the discussions that have taken place with the Company since we last met before the holiday break. Together, the two committees reviewed the items that still need to be addressed going forward in order for us to reach a successful contract.

As previously reported, we spent the last couple of months in off the record sub-committee meetings with the company in an effort to break through on the major issues. We have moved out of the “off the record” subcommittees and are back on the record in formal bargaining sessions.

Following the meeting with the NY/NE Bargaining team, we met with the Company and in the morning session, we formally rejected the comprehensive proposal the company passed across the table on October 11, 2011.

Here are just a few of the “low-lights” from that proposal:

No Wage Increase Offer and No retroactivity on any negotiated items

Sales Commission Plan for Consultants

Significantly increase deductibles, co-pays & implement premium sharing for Health Care Plans

Eliminate the HCBC & RHCBC positions

Significantly increase co-pays in our prescription drug benefit plan

Major diminishment in our benefits including Incidental Absence, Short Term Disability and Medically Restricted Plans

Eliminate the Pension Plan

Eliminate the Pension Cash Out Option

Eliminate the Sickness Death Benefit

Eliminate the Job Security Protections

Increase the movement of work provision to 5%

Change the contractual relocation provision to any move more than 85 miles

Increase the forced Overtime limits

Reduce evening and night differential payments and eliminate Saturday differentials altogether

Eliminate Short Notice Excused Days and the 18% vacation provision

Allow Electronic Recording of Calls

Following that, we presented the company with a counter-proposal on call sharing.

In the afternoon bargaining session, the union passed to the company a counter proposal on issues related to healthcare. The company asked very few questions and stated they would evaluate these proposals and respond at a later time.

Members have been told their participation in mobilization activities is crucial if our members expect to get a good contract. The leadership from both the CWA and IBEW has spread this message to every local president in an effort to get every member involved. If you are reading

this report and you are not participating in these efforts you need to contact your union rep or local union office and get involved. We are more than six months into these negotiations and this company is not feeling the pressure from our members. You have no excuse for sitting back and doing nothing unless you are ready to accept the cuts the company still has on the table.

Don’t wait another day. Renew your commitment to do whatever it takes to get a good contract. Get involved now. Only together will we get the fair contract we deserve.