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Update on Verizon-East
Discussions
Verizon Demands Job Security
Givebacks for Additional Wage Increases and Access to Growth
Jobs
CWA and IBEW met with Verizon last week to follow up on
the annual commitment in the Verizon-East agreement to discuss
wages and job security.
| Thousands of these postcards from
Verizon-East employees will be delivered to CEO Seidenberg
as part of our ongoing mobilization
campaign. |
 | The
Company made it clear that it is content with the status
quo. The Company said that it would not discuss an
additional wage increase for Verizon-East above
the guaranteed 2% nor returning DSL tech support
work to the bargaining unit unless we
agree to give back the no layoff provision. We told the
company that that is not an option.
We laid out a
four-point agenda for the discussion: fiber to the
premise (FTTP), VoIP, DSL tech support, and Wireless.
Wireless
The
Company immediately objected to placing any discussion of
Wireless on the agenda.
We told the Company that Verizon
is one company and we ought to be able to discuss the
entire company with management. There are important issues
that must be discussed about Wireless, including
Verizon's relentless union-busting, and its decision
to wall off these growth jobs from the rest of the
company. The Verizon representatives said that
they have no authority to discuss anything about Wireless.
We continued to make the point that Verizon is one company,
and we should have one relationship; we can't work together
on one hand and have them fire employees who want to be union
members on the other. The Company said they would take our
message back, but insisted they had no authority to discuss any
substantive issue around Wireless.
DSL Tech
Support
We reiterated our
demand for DSL tech support work to be moved from contractors to
the bargaining unit, arguing that it would be a good
transition for the Fiber Solutions Centers that will provide
support for FTTP. Management said it wasn't interested in
moving that way.
The Union reps summarized the company's position as saying
they are content to call on Union members' support when they
need it, while battling the Union at Wireless and
refusing to move on DSL tech support. The Company said they were
content with the status quo of the contract and don't see a
reason to change unless the Union wants to give up the job
security.
As the Union reps explained, this is
obviously a negative attitude on the company's part.
We have opportunities to move forward together -- to
create more union jobs and to make Verizon a stronger company.
We can and should work together.
Fiber to the
Premise
One positive development is the
company's plan to deploy a nationwide fiber network.
Verizon's FTTP trial has begun in
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Additional Issues Discussed
Pending and Future Line
Sales
We discussed the possible sale of
upstate New York and the pending sale of Hawaii, but received no
new information from the company.
Surplus
Verizon
representatives said that they don't believe there will be
additional surpluses/ pension offers announced this year, though
that is always subject to change. Currently, there is
an operator surplus in New England.
GPS
Union reps
explained that the GPS spy system doesn't make sense. Even the
company admits it's not currently cost effective. One of the
joint committees on absence has looked at data that shows that
employees who are micro-managed have a higher absence rate than
employees who are trusted to do their jobs. Management said that
productivity results don't reflect that.
| Texas, with Verizon employees as the
first customers testing out the service. The trial will shortly
be expanded to non-employees, and the service will be generally
available in mid-August, and then will begin to be rolled
out to the rest of the country. All work associated with
FTTP sales, service, construction, installation, repair, and
tech support will by done by union employees under our
current contracts. As the number of customers increases, the
Company will open Fiber Solutions Centers in New England, New
York, and the Potomac region, in addition to the first center
now operating in Texas for repair and tech support.
Negotiations over details will take place in each of the
Districts.
Voice over IP
(VoIP)
Verizon will shortly begin
offering VoIP service in order to meet the competition
from cable companies, AT&T, and start-ups like
Vonage, all of which are offering VoIP throughout
Verizon's region. While Verizon's long-term plan is to have its
own managed IP network to offer the service, it will initially
resell service on another network. The primary sales channel
will be the internet, and customers will do their own
installation.
These conversations will continue, as will our mobilization
activities.
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