IBEW LOCAL 2325
IBEW LOCAL 2325
 

×
Register an Account
Forgot Login?
Regional Bargaining Report #51 4/28/16
Apr 28, 2016

Regional Bargaining Report # 51

Thursday April 28, 2016

Today, Verizon presented what it described as its “last, best, and final offer” to your bargaining teams in Rye and Philadelphia and.

Unfortunately, their “last and best” was little more than the “same old bullshit.”

Here’s what they offered that was new: an additional 1% in wages, one year of corporate profit-sharing, and at last, they backed off at least part of their demand to be able to transfer workers for two months anywhere in the footprint. (They are however, still insisting on the right to transfer workers out of state for two months if the worker can commute home in the evening).

We of course welcome higher wages and these other changes.  But what good is a wage increase if we cannot ensure that our jobs will be around a year or two from now?

The company’s latest offer fails to address the union’s commitment to preserve job security and good jobs for our members in our communities.

  • There was no movement on the closing of call centers, which could lead to subcontracting and offshoring of our work.
  • They barely budged on the issue of protecting our share of the call center work.
  • In NY they gave an insulting proposal on contracting out plant work that does not return any contracted work to the bargaining unit, but might possibly slow down further contracting in the future.
  • Preservation of the “job security letter” is still linked to “Super IPP” packages that would drastically reduce the workforce with no guarantee of backfills.
  • They are still looking to reduce our disability benefits.
  • They are still proposing to freeze pension accruals at 30 years.

Even before the company finished up this insulting presentation, it posted videos on its website designed to persuade our members that this was a reasonable offer and that we should end our strike.

Your bargaining committee was infuriated by this move in particular, and blasted the company for its arrogance and unwillingness after 10 months of bargaining to address the concerns of 39,000 CWA and IBEW members from Massachusetts to Virginia.

As usual, we are prepared to continue bargaining towards a fair contract.  The company can call  their proposals whatever they want: “last, best, final”; “first and worst”; “the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Calling it the “last, best and final” is just a tired way of trying to intimidate our members into accepting a contract that we can’t live with.  It hasn’t worked in the past, and it won’t work now.

We will continue bargaining and striking until we get the contract that you deserve.  The strike is incredibly effective.  Picket lines are strong across the footprint. Business in Wireless stores has plummeted.  The scabs are making many mistakes and endangering themselves and the public with their unsafe practices—two of them nearly electrocuted themselves cutting an electric line in Garden City yesterday, and others dropped a telephone pole on a customer’s house in New Jersey—and they are failing to get any work accomplished.  A restaurant in New Brunswick featured a sign in the window that their online reservations system has been down because Verizon couldn’t fix their internet for 8 days, and that Verizon was being very unhelpful.

We are continuing to escalate the strike.  We are increasing picketing at Wireless stores across the country.  We are headed to the shareholders meeting in Albuquerque a week from today.

Meanwhile, your bargaining committee is working on our next steps and will keep you posted on any new developments in bargaining.  Stay strong, stay united, stay militant.  We are winning this battle.

Fraternally,

Dave Keating

Business Manager


Paused
Veterans Day
UAWFeen
New Members
JOEUAW
50Proof
Group
KeithFrank
FrankAPalooza
feedfamily
feedfamily
feedfamily
B&M BM
mnastvpicket3

Action Center


Check registration, Register to vote, Request Mail in ballot

-
IBEW local 2325
367 Burncoat St
Worcester, MA 01606
 

Top of Page image
Powered By UnionActive - Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.