VERIZON CALIFORNIA
BARGAINING REPORT #1
December 6, 2004

Negotiations opened officially today, Monday, December 6, 2004.  Your Union Bargaining Committee presented the Company with 20 proposals covering issues from wages to upgrading titles.  The Union provided the Company with brief explanations on their proposals and gave them clarifications.  The proposals submitted are listed below:  

PROPOSAL 1: This proposal calls for a substantial wage increase.  In addition, we are proposing to roll the TPA, commissions and incentive plans into the general wage increase.

PROPOSAL 2: This proposal seeks to improve employment security by claiming all work performed by existing and newly formed Verizon subsidiaries.  We also propose that no bargaining unit work be moved from California.  We also propose that we be granted recognition for VSSI, Verizon Wireless, Verizon Information Services, and Verizon Advance Data Information.

PROPOSAL 3: (Article 7) This proposal would eliminate contracting out and outsourcing of bargaining unit work.

PROPOSAL 4: (Article 9) This proposal would prohibit layoffs, downgrades and force realignments during the life of the agreement.

PROPOSAL 5: (Article 19) This proposal would eliminate scheduled/forced overtime.

PROPOSAL 6: (Article 22) Seeks 6 weeks vacation after 30 years and improved vacation administration.

PROPOSAL 7: (Article 23) Would add Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday as a paid holiday and add an additional floating holiday.

PROPOSAL 8: (Article 29) This proposal would improve all contractual differentials.

PROPOSAL 9: (Article 32) Seeks improvements to sickness and accident benefits.

PROPOSAL 10-A: (Article 33) This proposal is a language change that proposes training within a workgroup by seniority.  The proposal also includes language that if training is not offered to an entire classification it shall not be used as a qualification for transfer or layoff/force realignment.

PROPOSAL 10-B: Would provide access to and training for jobs with new and emerging technologies.

PROPOSAL 11: (Article 34) This proposal would eliminate the current 10 mile restriction, Equipment Maintainer's right of transfer and allow all employees to transfer to and be trained for any job opening prior to the Company hiring from outside the Company.  Language has also been proposed that would prohibit the Company from denying transfers based on attendance or disciplinary action.

PROPOSAL 12: (Article 41) This proposal seeks to prohibit management from performing bargaining unit work. 

PROPOSAL 13: This proposal would grant any employee who participated in a strike against the Company, credited time for the time he/she was on strike.

PROPOSAL 14: (Article 43) This proposal would establish unlimited time off for Elected Union officials.  The Union proposed that the Company pay the insurance premiums and carry the employee under the Company insurance plans while the employee is on union leave.  In addition, the proposal would eliminate the cap on excused time to conduct official Union business and count time off in this article as time worked toward FMLA eligibility.

PROPOSAL 15: This proposal specifically addresses multiple improvements in pensions.

PROPOSAL 16: Seeks benefit improvements in the areas of prescription coverage, lowering medical plan co-pays, freezing existing medical plan co-pays and eliminating the restriction on participation in the basic medical plan

PROPOSAL 17: This proposal would eliminate adherence measurements and all forms of monitoring.

PROPOSAL 18: The Committee submitted title upgrades for the Dispatch Clerks, Records & Reports Clerks, Departmental Clerks, Database Representatives, Graphic Systems Operators and Customer Service Tech III's.  This proposal seeks to roll the Customer Service Tech III into the Customer Service Tech II classification. 

PROPOSAL 19: Would enhance flexible scheduling options.

PROPOSAL 20: Calls for increased Company matching funds to savings and investment and seeks to enhance investment options under the 401(k).     

The Company Bargaining Committee presented the Union with 35 proposals.  Their proposals are listed below:

PROPOSAL 1: The Company is proposing a 5-year contract.

PROPOSAL 2: (Article 6) This proposal would add a definition for "Term" employees.

PROPOSAL 3: (Article 23) Would prorate Personal Holidays for newly hired employees based on their hire date.

PROPOSAL 4: (Article 25) Seeks to increase the mileage threshold from 35 miles to 50 miles to qualify for overnight lodging.

PROPOSAL 5: (Article 29) Would revise the Short Tour differentials in LiveSource and modify the on-call differential language.

PROPOSAL 6: (Article 11) This proposes to amend the grievance pay process.

PROPOSAL 7: (Article 12) This proposal would amend the grievance process from three (3) formal steps to two (2) steps.

PROPOSAL 8: Would change the Group Life Insurance.

PROPOSAL 9: This proposal would revise the effective dates reflecting the newly negotiated Medical Plan benefits.

PROPOSAL 10: Would replace the TPA Addendum to a Memorandum of Agreement.

PROPOSAL 11: This proposal would modify the Income Security Plan (ISP).

PROPOSAL 12: Seeks to reclassify certain Special Equipment Installers and Equipment Maintainers to Customer Zone Technician I.

PROPOSAL 13: Proposes a Business Attire Program.

PROPOSAL 14: This proposes a FIOS JOBS OF THE FUTURE Memorandum of Agreement.

PROPOSAL 15: Seeks to add the job title of Fiber Network Field Technician.

PROPOSAL 16: This proposal is to replace the Group Universal Life Insurance Plan and the Living Benefit Rider Plan with the Supplemental Term Life Insurance Plan.

PROPOSAL 17: Would continue the Adoption Assistance benefit with no changes but would standardize the Memorandum of Agreement language.

PROPOSAL 18: This proposal would change the Flexible Reimbursement Plan eligibility.

PROPOSAL 19: This proposal would amend the Consumer Sales Incentive Compensation Plan.

PROPOSAL 20: This proposal would amend the LiveSource Incentive Compensation Plan.

PROPOSAL 21: The Company proposes to amend the BSG Incentive Compensation Plan.

PROPOSAL 22: This proposal would amend the Incentive Compensation Plan.

PROPOSAL 23: This proposal would amend the Training Failure Memorandum of Agreement.

PROPOSAL 24: Proposes changes to the method used to calculate overtime.

PROPOSAL 25: This proposal would amend the existing Vacation Donation Memorandum.

PROPOSAL 26: This proposal would delete the titles Buildings Maintainer, Business Services Representative, Coin Processor, Cutter Operator, Drafting Clerk, Feeder, Folder Operator, Forms Press Operator, Inventory Control Clerk, Machine Operator, Network Facilities Clerk, Printing Press Operator, Printing Press Operator I, Printing Press Operator II, Printing Technician, Public Communications Booth Technician, Service Observer, Stenographer and Work Processing Clerk.

PROPOSAL 27: Establish a Memorandum of Agreement for when the need exists to fill 25 vacancies or more within the National Operators department simultaneously.

PROPOSAL 28: This proposal calls for standardization of medical language.

PROPOSAL 29: The Company proposes to modify the Dental Plan eligibility requirement.

PROPOSAL 30: The Company proposes to modify the Alternative Dental Plan eligibility requirement.

PROPOSAL 31: Deletes HMO's no longer available for employees.

PROPOSAL 32: This proposal changes to the Medical Benefits 'Opt-Out' Credit and establishes a Spousal Surcharge when the spouse is also eligible for medical coverage from his/her employer and does not enroll in that medical plan.

PROPOSAL 33: This proposal would reclassify all FIOS trained CST II's to the Fiber Network Field Technician job title.

PROPOSAL 34: The Company proposes to change several job titles.  Customer Contact Associate to Consumer Sales Consultant, Customer Contact Associate – VCCD to Consumer Sales Consultant – VCCD, Customer Service Technician I to Customer Zone Technician I, Customer Service Technician II to Customer Zone Technician II, Customer Service Technician III to Customer Zone Technician III, Frame Maintainer to Frame Worker, Language Assistance-Customer Contact Associate to Language Assistance-Consumer Sales Consultant, Language Assistance-Customer Contact Associate-VCCD to Language Assistance-Consumer Sales Consultant-VCCD, Plant Construction Installer to Lineworker, Public Communications Field Technician to Collector Maintainer.

PROPOSAL 35: This proposal would modify the Home Dispatch Memorandum of Agreement.           

The parties agreed to recess to evaluate proposals, and will reconvene to start substantiating their proposals.

VERIZON CALIFORNIA
BULLETIN #2
December 7, 2004

Your Bargaining Committee worked into last evening explaining our various proposals and had substantive discussions on job bidding, transfers and ISP.  This process will continue throughout the day and we will also begin the process of reviewing all active Memorandums of Agreement.  Our next bulletin will be tomorrow.  Let the Company know you expect a fair contract for the holidays.

Vicki Pallan
James Dudley
Gregg Gibson
Ellen West
Jim Weitkamp

/mgl  OPEIU-3-AFL-CIO