October 26, 2007

CWA and Verizon Agree to Early Negotiations

Verizon Communications has approached CWA with a request to begin early bargaining for the Verizon “East” contract which expires next August.

After consultation with all Verizon locals, a consensus was reached to begin negotiations in November, with a meeting and presentation by the company. A deadline for the early talks will be set at a later time. CWA will have an unrestricted agenda in these early negotiations and the discussions will cover the ability of our members to have access to the jobs of the future, in the growth areas of the company, among other critical issues. The three CWA vice presidents representing Verizon members in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic – Chris Shelton, District 1, Pete Catucci, District 2 and Jim Short, District 13 -- will lead these negotiations for CWA.  Once again, CWA will bargain jointly with the IBEW.

The Verizon “East” contract covers 55,000 CWA-represented workers.

Unity Rallies for AT&T Internet and Video Services Members

CWA members in four districts rallied, handbilled and made management see red on Oct. 18 in support of bargaining on behalf of workers in AT&T's Internet Services and Video Services divisions. The Internet DSL tech support workers and Video field technicians have been without a contract since late summer.

By far the largest of several "Unity Rallies" took place in San Antonio, Texas, where more than 700 members marched through downtown to demand fair wages, benefits and employment security for the two units. Members came by bus from Dallas-Fort Worth, Corpus Christi and Tyler, Texas, and drove from Oklahoma and Missouri.

Chanting "No contract, no peace," most in the crowd wore red shirts as sign of solidarity, as did many at rallies elsewhere in Districts 3, 4, 6 and 9 and at company locations throughout the four districts.

"In CWA, we stand together," proclaimed flyers members distributed. "We're here to tell AT&T, you can't divide us. In this family, an injury to one is an injury to all."

The Internet Services bargaining unit includes 1,780 members and Video Services, about 100.

Small Local, Big Win: NABET-CWA Saves Jobs in Harrisburg

In a victory worthy of David vs. Goliath status, a small unit of PBS workers in Harrisburg, Pa., stood up to a management team whose contract demands could have spelled the end of their union.

"I think they saw 20 members, a small local, and figured we couldn't put up a fight and they were going to roll right over us," NABET-CWA Representative Bill Murray said of the contract talks at WITF radio and TV. "They got a big surprise."

The Local 58213 members recently approved a new contract that not only preserves job security, it requires management to fill four full-time positions that have been vacant. Union jobs at WITF include engineers, announcers, reporters, videographers, directors and audio technicians.

Originally, Murray said the station launched an assault on the union's jurisdiction and "came in seeking to eliminate one person a year – unless they ran into financial problems, then they could eliminate even more." 

But the local fought back.  Members and their supporters in the south central Pennsylvania area began putting pressure on the station, going to board meetings, writing letters to PBS financial supporters, leafleting at any WITF event and squeezing the non-profit affiliate's ability to fundraise. On nights when volunteers were answering phones to accept donations, scores of community members called and said they wouldn't donate until management changed its tune.

The station typically takes in $10,000 to $20,000 during a night of phone-banking, but on two nights when union supporters were active, it raised just $500 and $825, according to Local President Joe Grazen.

CWA leaders called the victory an inspiration and praised workers for standing up to a management team that was bigger than their entire local. The station has 26 managers for its 100 union and non-union workers, and 10 of the managers are high-paid vice presidents.

"Your story will be told and retold as an example of what our union can do together," CWA President Larry Cohen said. District 13 Vice President Jim Short said, "Every local in CWA should and could learn from what you all have accomplished."

The victory "goes to show that when a group is strong and united, anything is possible, despite the odds," NABET-CWA President John Clark said.

Speak Up for America's Workers as a Convention Delegate

One of the best possible ways to make working America's voice heard loud and clear is for union members to be delegates to the Democratic or Republican national conventions in 2008.

CWA is encouraging members to run for seats as delegates and fight to make such vital issues as health care, good American jobs and the Employee Free Choice Act are part of the parties' platforms and candidates' campaigns.

As an incentive to run, CWA will help members who are selected as delegates cover some of their expenses. The Democratic convention will be held in Denver Aug. 25-28 and the Republican convention will be in Minneapolis Sept. 1-4.

There are several ways to become a convention delegate, and methods vary, too, by state. Would-be delegates can run for election at the local congressional district level, they can be chosen as "at-large" delegates by their state party, or be selected by the presidential candidate they support.

CWA leaders say one of the best ways to be considered as a delegate is to begin volunteering with the presidential campaign of your choice, and make your desire to be a delegate clear.

More details are available on the parties' convention websites: http://www.dnc.org/a/convention_2008/delegate/ for Democrats and http://www.gopconvention2008.com/ for Republicans. Another handy website with election dates and a wealth of other details is offered by the League of Women Voters at www.vote411.org.

Institutional Investors Press Verizon to Implement 'Say on Pay'

Seven major institutional investors that hold more that $790 million in Verizon Communications stock pressed Verizon to implement the shareholder proposal on executive compensation that received a majority vote at the 2007 annual meeting.

The "Say on Pay" proposal called on Verizon to allow shareholders to vote for or against the compensation of its top executive officers at each annual meeting. The vote would be non-binding but would give shareholders a voice on executive compensation and encourage meaningful conversations between the Board of Directors and institutional investors. 

"A majority of Verizon shareholders has spoken and has demanded a voice in setting executive compensation at Verizon," said CWA Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach. "CWA urges Verizon to implement this proposal to demonstrate good corporate governance."

Verizon has said publicly that it is continuing to evaluate the proposal.

Shareholders in the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden already have the ability to weigh in on executive compensation in a non-binding vote. The evidence from the U.K., in particular, is that "Say on Pay" appears to moderate pay increases, enhances the ability of compensation committees to stand up to insider pressure, and adds legitimacy to the executive compensation process.

For more information on corporate governance issues at Verizon, go to http://investor.cwa-union.org/verizon.

IN BRIEF: 
  • Noting in a video message that CWA is unique among unions and other membership organizations in asking members about their choice for president of the United States, President Larry Cohen urges all members and retirees to cast their vote in CWA's online "E-Poll."  View his message at http://www.cwavotes.org/cwavotes/content/cwa_president_larry_cohen.  

    And cast your E-Poll ballot today at www.CWAVotes.org.  The voting deadline is Nov. 9, 2007.


  • Imogene Wood, a career telephone worker who was a founding officer of the national CWA Retired Members' Council, died of cancer Oct. 23 at a Washington, D.C., hospital. She was 93.

    Born in New Hampshire, Wood came to Washington in 1935 as a governess for the children of Sen. Henry Keyes (R-N.H.). She was hired by C&P Telephone in 1942 as an operator and worked until 1979, retiring as a service observer.

    A former vice president of CWA Local 2300, Wood remained active in the union long after retiring. For many years she served as president of CWA's Washington Metro Retiree Chapter. She also helped found the national CWA Retired Members' Council and served as council vice president in District 2 from 1988 to 2002. She lobbied on behalf of retirees and helped CWA raise money for COPE to support all workers and retirees.

    She is survived by a son, Ernest Wood, of Indiana, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.