AVAYA

We are pleased to announce that our members working for Avaya have overwhelmingly approved the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

We would like to thank our members, and especially the bargaining team—Richie Meringolo, Art Frindt, Phil Pennington and Kevin Kimber—for their hard work and dedication in achieving this agreement.

On Thursday, July 16, 2009, the Union received notice from the Company that the new company gas cards will be activated and used by technicians beginning Monday, July 20, 2009. The usage of these new gas cards had previously been put on hold by the Company.

During the District 2 meeting in Williamsburg, there was expressed concern of having the employee’s name on the card, and liability issues. These issues were taken under advisement and we have been advised by legal that the member’s name on the card does not constitute liability for purchases made on the card. Issuance of the card to technicians is merely the assignment of a "tool" that will enable them to do a function of their job (i.e. put fuel in the truck).

Carrying the card is no different than the member carrying their pass.

On Wednesday, July 15, 2009, the Union met with Verizon’s Director of Labor Relations regarding several executive level grievances. Following is a summary of the grievances discussed:

1. Long Term Service Difficulty – The Company claims a trouble load of two times the normal load for the past 6 weeks caused them to declare the LTSD. The company argues 6 weeks is an extended period of time. The areas of Gilbert, Matawan and Bradshaw were hit the hardest with heavy storms, which flooded nearly 80% of the buildings in Gilbert. Verizon pulled the 40 technicians loaned from Virginia to work on the trouble load. According to the company these Va. loaned technicians were brought into W. Va. and dedicated to the W. Va. Service Improvement Project. Verizon also indicated they are in the process of hiring 101 technicians. The requisitions went into the system on July 1^st. Currently internal candidates are being evaluated. The hiring process to backfill the positions left vacant by retirements is approximately 60 days. Verizon also borrowed technicians from outside of the bargaining unit. They had requested 80 loans but received less than 40 from Indiana, Ohio and North Carolina. Verizon claims the normal trouble load is near 1400 troubles a day. The Long Term Service Difficulty was pulled when the load reduced to 2200 troubles on July 13^th. We have requested additional data on trouble loads and overtime in Pam Tucker’s area for the past 6 months prior to the lifting of overtime caps. We have also requested an ongoing status of the hiring process.
2. External Loans to W. Va. – The Company claims the right to contract out work in emergency situations per the Contracting Initiatives Letter of Understanding. Outside loans were brought into W. Va. after an unanticipated number of technicians retired on June 30^th. The loaned technicians will not leave W. Va. until Verizon can get the workforce built back up. We have requested additional information on the numbers of loaned technicians, hours they work, and their scheduled release dates.
3. 2008 Contract Printing – The Company has indicated it wants to reproduce our 2008 contract utilizing the reproduction clerks located in Silver Spring, Md. They would have a union printer produce the cover of the contract but bring it back in house to do the actual binding. This would be a cost savings of $70,000 for Verizon.
4. Relapse Absences Requiring Medical Documentation – This issue came out of the ACHC. The grievance is related to changes Verizon or its agent MetLife, have made to the processing and treatment of absences occurring within the first 14 days of returning from a short-term disability absence. Verizon has unilaterally implemented changes requiring medical documentation be provided for any and all absence occurring within the first 14 days of returning from a short term disability absence, regardless of whether or not the absence is related to the disability condition (relapse). Prior to Verizon’s unilateral change a member that returned to work after a short-term disability absence, who within the first 14 days went back out sick with a different medical condition was paid under the incidental absence of Article 32.

Once additional data and final written positions are received we will determine whether or not to move forward on these issues.

With the introduction last week of the House health care reform bill, H.R. 3200, and the Senate HELP Committee approval of its health care reform legislation, action around health care reform is at a fever pitch.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promises a floor vote on H.R. 3200 during the last week of July. 

Right now is the time for us to get in the game and have our voices heard. The last week of July will be a week of action for CWA, and we hope all of our members will play a leadership role.  We want to urge CWA members to take part in CWA’s National Health Care Reform Call-In by making phone calls to Members of Congress to deliver our message:  We want health care reform now!  Pass H.R. 3200 to provide everyone quality, affordable health care.

We strongly urge all of our CWA members to take part in this National Health Care Reform call-in by using the provided 800-phone number to patch through calls to their members of Congress calling on them to support H.R. 3200 without weakening amendments.  

ON THE SENATE SIDE 

The HELP Committee, in a party line 13 to 10 vote, passed its comprehensive health care reform bill.  The bill has some problems, including a very weak employer mandate/pay or play provision.   Nevertheless, it is likely to be better than the bill expected from the Senate Finance Committee. 

The Finance Committee has been struggling to put a package together since the Committee Chair and other Committee members came face-to-face with political reality that their notion to tax worker health benefits would not fly.  They have since started back to work.

It is now being stated that chances of the Senate having a health care vote before the August recess have improved from 10% to 50%--meaning it is hard to imagine them pulling it off.  

The America’s Affordable Health Care Choices Act, H.R. 3200, was introduced last week.  It is superior to the Senate bills in many respects.  President Cohen’s endorsement letter to the House Committee gives a good description of how the bill meets our priorities.

Two Committees—Education & Labor and Ways & Means—have already approved their sections of the bill. Energy & Commerce will continue its work this week, but we are likely to have much more trouble in this committee.

• Requires larger employers to offer coverage and contribute at least 72.5% of the premium cost for singles and 65% for families. Employers offering coverage today pay 80% of the premium cost for singles and 75% for families on average.
• Smaller employers (20 or few workers) can pay 8% of payroll into a health trust fund that is used to provide coverage.
• Provides subsidies of up to 50% for many small businesses so they can afford coverage.
• Exempts small low-wage businesses from the requirement to provide coverage.

• Subsidizes employers and trust funds that offer health benefits for pre-Medicare retirees aged 55-64.
• Government would reimburse firms for 80% of the annual health costs incurred between $15,000 and $90,000 for an individual.
• Sets up a $10 billion reserve program that ends when the funds are depleted.

• Creates a new public health insurance plan to compete with private insurance companies. This plan will cost at least 10% less than private insurers but offer the same good benefits.
• Limits participation to individuals and employers with 20 or fewer people in the first two years. Leaves it to be decided later if and when larger employers can purchase coverage through the public plan—a goal of CWA
• Sets physician payments in the public plan at the Medicare rate plus a 5% bonus. Hospitals will be paid at the Medicare rate. These are important measures to control costs.

• Does not tax the health benefits of workers, which currently are tax-free.
• Half of the $1 trillion in new spending over 10 years is raised by reducing payments to insurance companies, drug companies and by making the Medicare and Medicaid programs more efficient.
• The other half is raised from wealthy individuals through a modest surtax on those families earning more than $350,000 a year—just 1.3% of families.