MEMBERSHIP MEETING Tuesday, September 18, 2007 6:30 p.m. Local Office—5321 First Place NE, Washington, D.C. (Walking Distance from Ft. Totten Metro Stop)

A recent Arbitrator’s decision sustains the Company’s right to set policies for the type of behavior that the Company considers offensive and that will result in discipline, including termination, for a first offense. It was determined that racial hate speech is calculated to debase and denigrate not only a human being to whom it is immediately directed, but also an entire class of human beings. Employees who express such racist contempt for others at work forfeit the right to remain in our community of employees.

"Calling someone the "N" word is an insult no matter what the race of the person involved. More important, the Company has never based its discipline of employees on the race of the employees involved nor could it do so legally. Call another employee the "N" word constitutes just cause for termination."

As a result of the fatality case involving Marvin Benson, a member of CWA Local 2100, Verizon of Maryland is required by the State of Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Division of Labor and Industry Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) to provide additional safety training for technicians in Maryland. This company-developed training program for technicians must be completed by February 1, 2008.

Although the loss of Marvin Benson does not equal what is contained in the settlement agreement, in memoriam to Marvin we should ensure that the training includes input from the Union and is provided to all Maryland technicians. Further, the Union is requesting that Verizon expand the training to all technicians across CWA District 2.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. Over time, ALS leads to total paralysis, leaving people unable to move, speak, swallow and, ultimately, breathe. ALS is the most common motor neuron disorder among adults. Its cause is unknown and, as yet, there is no known cure.

Our District 2 Vice President, Peter G. Catucci suffers with this disorder. The mission of the ALS Association is to improve the quality of life for people living with ALS while raising public awareness and support for finding a cure.

"For Pete’s Sake", here is how you can immediately help this cause. On Sunday, October 21, 2007, the ALS Association is sponsoring a "2007 Walk to D’Feet ALS". The Walk will begin at 10:00 a.m. at Constitution Gardens on the Mall. All participants should be on Mall by 9:30 a.m.

For more information regarding participation in this worthy event, please contact the Local office on 202 291-1500.