How can our Local make a difference? This year, with times being tougher than ever, the need is greater than ever. Our Local can help by getting the word out to all of our members to support the Community Services Agency in this fall’s United Way, CFC and other workplace fundraising campaigns. Then, in their time of need, members of Council affiliates can turn to the Community Services Agency (CSA) to help with financial crisis.

The CWA-UAW Legislative Alliance continues to urge Congress to take quick action to help more than one million unemployed workers who have or will run out of unemployment insurance by year’s end. The House already has passed a measure that will provide an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits, but only in states where the unemployment rate is at or above 8.5 percent.

CWA and UAW applaud this effort, but are shifting our focus to the Senate, where we are lobbying for additional weeks of unemployment benefits for long-term, unemployed workers in every state. Currently there are six laid-off Americans seeking jobs for every one job opening in this country.

Democratic ranks in the Senate are back up to 60, after the swearing-in of new Massachusetts Sen. Paul Kirk. And Democratic leaders in the Senate maintain that they are on track to take up real labor reform this year. Negotiations continue in the Senate to pass legislation that will give workers a free choice to form unions, without intimidation; strictly penalize employers who break the law; and prevent companies from engaging in endless delays and stall tactics to deny workers a collective bargaining agreement.

Since the last update on August 26^th, the Company has made some additional changes that will impact members in this year’s Benefit Renewal.

The Union has learned that Verizon has no intention of providing MCN/MEP PPO HPCC's (Health Plan Comparison Charts) to enrollees whose coverage is being canceled and defaulted into the new EPO. These enrollees will only receive an HPCC on the EPO in their Benefit Renewal package.

The union members of the ACHC strongly pointed out that without the MCN/MEP PPO HPCC’s along with any other option that would be available to the enrollee; there is nothing for the enrollee to compare. This is another departure on how we have historically conducted Benefit Renewal. Verizon is intentionally excluding information on the bargained for plans (MCN/MEP PPO) and other available options to the very enrollees who need them most—those who know the least about these offerings.

Verizon has decided not to terminate the following plans for current enrollees in 2010. However, no new enrollees will be accepted:

Carelink Health Plans WV		Cigna Healthcare VA</
HealthNet NJ HIP		Health Plan of NY
Geisinger Health Plan	PA HealthNet NY/CT
Aetna HMO All area

Verizon maintains that if enrollees want HPCC's, they would have to call the Verizon Benefits Center (VBC) starting October 1^st. The VBC number is 877-489-2367.

As a reminder, members who miss making a change during the open enrollment dates of October 15^th thru October 28^th will be able to make changes after the initial BR closes until the close of business December 31^st. However, changes requested after October 28^th can only be made by telephone. The website will not process changes after October 28^th.

"Recordkeeping Systems Corrected"

During a review of the Savings Plan's recordkeeping system, it was discovered that the system used for reinstating employee contribution percentages after an In-Service Withdrawal with Suspension was not working accurately.

After the suspension period expired, employee contributions were not restarted as they should have been and accordingly, nineteen (19) affected employees are owed additional contributions under the Plan. A letter, from Avaya, is being sent to the affected employees.

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