On Monday, June 2, 2008 elements of A-Company of the CWA Local 2336 Steward Army were deployed to the Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. to raise their voices for free speech. After rallying on the Plaza, A-Company along with hundreds of other labor activists, attacked the halls of D.C. City Council to express their strong opposition to a bill that would severely restrict public speech in DC and limit the right to speak and be heard.

A-Company

As a result of our efforts, we succeeded in protecting free speech in the nation’s capital when on Tuesday, June 3, 2008, the D.C. City Council voted 9-4 to amend the controversial "noise bill" which will enable people to continue to come our nation’s capital from all corners of our nation to raise their voices to those in power. This demonstrates what can be accomplished when labor is united.

After dealing with the issue of free speech, A-Company came back to headquarters to prepare to deal with another issue of great significance—health care reform.

Training continued for the rest of the day as we introduced our battle plan to deal with a U.S. health care system which is broken, and at the same protect and enhance the excellent health care benefits that we have at Verizon.

First of all, to win, we will need to build a strong political movement—and each of us is a critical part of that. For anything to change, we need a Congress and a President who will fight for health care reform. Whether we like it or not, our health care future depends on what happens in the political arena this fall.

Secondly, we need to make sure that every one knows that Verizon never gave us anything. We have a great health care plan because we fought hard for each piece of it, and fought hard to protect it—again and again.

Because the costs of health care are rising rapidly, corporations are doing all they can to cut their costs by increasing premiums and co-pays, reducing coverage, and in some cases shredding their plans entirely. With or without national health insurance, we’ll have to fight to hold onto ours—"we will fight until hell freezes over, then we will fight on the ice".

VERIZON BARGAINING

We all have something in common with Ivan Seidenberg. Ivan has a contract which provides him with wages, bonuses, stock options and a severance package—and he’s got it in writing. We, too, have a contract. While we don’t have the deal Ivan has, it’s still a pretty good deal by any measure.

Supervisors don’t have a contract—neither do managers or directors. They are "at-will" employees and lately the will of the Company has been to lay a great deal of them off. Our members have guaranteed employment which even Ivan doesn’t have.

Our contract is not just a book with articles and words. In many ways it defines the lives we lead. It says we can buy a home or pay the rent. We can take vacations and we can be at home with our families during the holidays. It says we will be cared for if we are sick. It relieves us of the worry of being laid off. It requires that we are treated with respect at work. We can get a free education, save money in our 401k, limit the hours we can be forced to work and we can retire with security.

We are now bargaining a new agreement. We will have to bargain for improvements and defend against take-backs. And we all will have to do this together.

There will a steward training session on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 here at the Local office on 5321 1^st Place NE, Washington, D.C. beginning promptly at 6 p.m.

This is the last chance to get your tickets for the Annual Union Night at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md. Tickets are $5.00 per person. Game time is 7:05 p.m. on Friday, June 13, 2008. There will be a fireworks display after the game.

Tickets will be sold on a first come—first serve basis. To purchase tickets, contact the Local office on 202 291-1500.

This will be a night out at the new union-built stadium to support the Community Services Agency of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO. Game time is 7:35 p.m. on Friday, July 11, 2008—gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10.00 each with $1.00 from each ticket sale going to support the Community Services Agency. To purchase tickets on a first come—first serve basis, contact the Local office on 202 291-1500.