CWA Local 1170

Membership updates:

The CWA Union in West Virginia has reached an agreement with the Company to bring in out of state workers to assist with the AT&T fiber placement.  The agreement is good until April 1st.  The Company yesterday polled the Line crew and 4 line techs will be leaving Monday morning for a 3 week stint.

The Company has unilaterally implemented a new appraisal system.  The Union has asked the Company to cease with the administration of the appraisal and demanded to negotiate over the issue. If management brings you in to administer your appraisal, I would notify your Union steward as their is an entirely new assessment as part of the appraisal.

The Company has also approached the Union and intends to have each employee input their own time into the CATS payroll system.  Your officers have met with the Company and expressed our issues and concerns over the matter.  The Company has taken our input and will be getting

For those members and retirees who participate in the CWA Supplemental retirement plan, there has been a change in administrators from Nationwide Insurance to NEA credit Union.  Marge and Angela have the new address and phone number.  The 2012 guaranteed interest rate is 3.65% down from 3.75%.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your Union tape the place where we are Union and proud of it.

The Federal Mediation Session scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed by the Company.  Those Stewards and Executive Board members initially approved to attend, please make note that it has been cancelled for tomorrow.  The Joint Mediation Training with the Company will be discussed at the Board Meeting tonight.

Tomorrow will be the Annual United Way Leadership Breakfast at Mario’s Via Abruzzi on Monroe Avenue beginning at 8am.  Invitations went out to CWA members last week.  This event marks the kickoff of the 2012 United Way Campaign for Frontier and CWA.  If you didn’t receive an invitation and think you should have, please call the office.  This year’s campaign faces challenges by the recent announcement from Kodak who has been an important part of the United Way forever.  I encourage members to participate where they can and consider the Community Fund for their investment in this Community.  CWA Local 1170 has always been a cornerstone for the United Way so let’s do our part to keep the tradition going.

Commercial NOC Center Update – Of the 5 Desk Tech positions polled for recently, only 2 CWA members showed an interest; Dale Giverson and Carl Kinney both Sales & Service Techs.  The 3 other positions have been posted externally and need to be filled as quickly as possible.  The clerical positions have been polled for and CWA members have expressed an interest to fill all those vacancies.  The Union is working with the Company to get those candidates released for those jobs.  In all, 17 new positions have been added to the Rochester Commercial NOC Center.

Tonight is the first CWA Activist Call for 2012.  For those of you who are registered or want to register, you can call the office and we will give you the information.  The call starts at 7:30pm.  You will hear from CWA National leaders, updates on the Verizon bargaining, and other important issues to CWA.  Every member is eligible to participate.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your Union Tape the place where we are Union and proud of it.

Today your Union Executive Board will be participating in a joint training exercise with management to be administered by WNY Federal Mediators Ken Armes and Mary Kluczewski.  The purpose of the training is to improve the skills for each side to administer the Contract and resolve workplace issues.  A second training session is scheduled for next Thursday and stewards will be notified of their requested participation.  Lord knows there is no shortage of issues to be resolved.  The Union’s desired outcome is better workplace representation for you and a quicker resolution to your issues.

Tuesday the Union became aware that the Company hired temporary employees into the Commercial NOC Center to perform clerical bargaining unit work.  We have met with the Company to address the Contract violations and are working to resolve them.  We will provide an update once a resolution is reached.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your Union Tape the place where we are Union and proud of it.

The office is closed today in recognition of Martin Luther King Day.  We will reopen at 8am on Tuesday.  A little history for you:  The idea of Martin Luther King Day as a Holiday was first promoted by labor unions in contract negotiations.  A Bill was first introduced into Congress in 1979 and fell 5 votes short of passing.  The Bill was signed by President Ronald Regan in November of 1983 and observed for the first time in 1986.  Senator John McCain voted against the creation of the Holiday to honor King, and South Carolina in 2000 was the last state to make Martin Luther King’s Birthday an official state Holiday.  Martin Luther King’s life’s work not only advanced civil rights for minorities but also advanced the rights of workers all over the Country.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your Union Tape the place where we are Union and proud of it.

Membership Updates:

I would like to announce the retirement of Network/Carrier Tech Mike Fisher.  Mike started work for the Company in 1968 and retired on December 31^st with 43 years of service.

I would also like to acknowledge Building Eq. Mechanic Tom Whitehair.  Tom has been out with a disability for over a year and has been separated from service due to his illness.  Tom was hired in 1991 and served his entire career as an Equipment Mechanic.  Tom served as steward, executive board member, contract work committee member, and was responsible for helping his work group bring in work from contractors as well as getting an upgrade.

I want to thank both of them for their contributions and membership to this union.

I’m saddened to announce the passing of retiree Cesidio Jack Iulianello.  Jack was hired in 1970 and retired in 1993 as a Bldg Svc Attendant.  Calling hours are today from 2-4pm and 7-9pm at the Funeral Chapel, 1031 Ridge Rd, Webster.  A funeral mass will be held Saturday, 9:15am at St. Rita’s Church, 1008 Maple Drive, Webster.  Our sympathies go out to Jack’s Family and Friends.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your Union Tape the place where we are Union and proud of it.

On Wednesday Human Resource Director Kathy Slocum sent an email out to everyone advising you of a new New York State law the Wage Theft Prevention act.  The law went into effect in April of 2011.  This law requires all employers to notify all employees between January 1^st and February first of their wage rates and other pay information in writing.  Apparently enough employees were getting screwed by their bosses who would tell them they were making one pay figure and paying them a lesser figure, so they decided to make a law to prevent it.  While employees aren’t required to sign the form, attempts should be made to get the form in as directed.  The intent is to hold employers accountable to pay all wages.

Tape release Wednesday, January 4^th, 2012

Frontier retirees who retired prior to 12/31/95, due to a change in administrators to the Milliman Corp. for your insurance benefits, the annual supplemental reimbursement of $150 will not be paid until February 1, 2012.  For all retirees – changes to your monthly healthcare deductions were not processed in January and will be effective February 1^st.  For those who have MVP Gold West, this means you will get a credit in your February pension check.  For those who experienced premium increases, you may see more withheld from your pension check.

Before the Christmas break, the Union requested to discuss the overtime spreads in the Carrier work group.  Due to special projects that specific individuals were requested for the year-end spreads were out of line.  The Union has proposed to rollover the year-end hours into the New Year.  I will update the Carrier group as soon as I hear from the Company.

The Company was in contact with the Union today to notify us that Payroll has made an error and there will be no 401K deductions this week.  The Union has agreed to forego this week’s deduction vs. the Company taking a double deduction next week.  A straw pull was done and it was thought that the impact of double deduction would’ve negatively affected people’s monthly cash flow more.  It is still early in the year and you have time to make adjustments to your withdrawals to recoup that amount.

The Union has received notification that the 90 members who received a written warning and suspension for refusing to work mandatory overtime in 2010 has been expunged from your personnel file.  This settles the agreement made in bargaining at the Union’s request to do so.  The Union appreciated the solidarity shown at that time.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your Union Tape the place where we are Union and proud of it.

On Wednesday Human Resource Director Kathy Slocum sent an email out to everyone advising you of a new New York State law the Wage Theft Prevention act.  The law went into effect in April of 2011.  This law requires all employers to notify all employees between January 1^st and February first of their wage rates and other pay information in writing.  Apparently enough employees were getting screwed by their bosses who would tell them they were making one pay figure and paying them a lesser figure, so they decided to make a law to prevent it.  While employees aren’t required to sign the form, attempts should be made to get the form in as directed.  The intent is to hold employers accountable to pay all wages.

A clarification for you on the Take the Lead Bonus – A premium amount is showing up in addition to the bonus on the paystub.  This figure differs for everyone and is based on the amount of overtime that you worked over the past 12 months.  According to the Fair Labor Standards act, overtime earnings must be accounted for in supplemental payments, which the Take the Lead Bonus is considered.  There is a calculation that payroll goes by to figure this out which is the reason for the different amounts.

A look back on 2011 – It was a very busy year with much to be thankful for.  We fought hard and secured a new 4-year agreement with Frontier, which we have 3 ½ years left on.  Seventeen members retired with a voluntary severance in August, which allowed them to leave with dignity, many employees were polled and moved into different jobs.  Everyone that was in the jobs bank for 14 months is still working.  The Union placed former laid off members in jobs in West Virginia.  We participated in special events in the community from the St. Patrick’s Day parade to the Tom Luciano memorial golf tournament to the Labor Day parade to our clambake.  Myself and others have protested at Washington square park and Liberty pole way supporting the Occupy Wall street demonstrations and the 99% who make this country go as well as the Brave workers in Wisconsin who helped wake up the labor movement in this country.  Within the Local we’ve had election of New Officers and executive board members.  2012 surely will bring new challenges, which we will be prepared to face.  In ending I want to thank the membership and retirees for building this Union my fellow officers for their hard work and all the volunteers who have helped organize our special events.  I would especially like to thank Rick Sanchez, Marie Spendlove, and Dave Barney for their years of service in helping lead this Union.

I wish everyone a safe and Healthy New Year.

The Union is meeting with the Company today, as we’ve demanded to negotiate over the Company’s directive for Sales & Service Techs to reappoint tickets, formally the job duties of the Dispatch Clerks.  We’ve heard your concerns in the field and will be presenting them to the Company.

The annual Take the Lead Bonus will be paid Thursday, December 30^th.  I have requested the amount and the data that the bonus was based on.

Also, we have forwarded the customer service issues sent in from the field to the Company.  There are those in management who don’t understand the issues you are facing and the upset customers that you are dealing with each and every day.  Keep forwarding the information.  We will keep working on your behalf to insure that the Company understands what you’re dealing with out in the field.

The Company will have to solicit from the overtime low list in most classifications for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, as they have failed to provide the 7 days notice for those who volunteered to be scheduled for the Holiday.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your union tape, the place where we are Union and Proud of it.  UP THE REBEL!

Your Union has been concerned about our customer service since the company directive in regard to no overtime for Sales & Service was issued.  I have sent a follow up request to the company to address the issues along with a list of field examples that have been provided to me by a couple of technicians.  If you want us to advocate on your behalf, we need the information to do so.  Please forward any tickets or service orders to your steward, executive board or union officer, where customer service has not been up to company standards.  We are not alone as other areas of the country are dealing with the same issue.

The union has also sent a demand to negotiate over the directive for Sales and Service Techs to reappoint tickets.  We see this as a subject mandatory for bargaining, as it directly affects our bonus on missed appointments.  A meeting has been scheduled for Wed. December 21^st on the issue.

This week is the deadline on referrals for Take the Lead.  This year’s bonus is affected by participation.  You have until the end of business today to submit a lead to improve the payout.  I do not have an amount or payout date and won’t know until next week.

The company has also notified us that the 7 additional positions for the CNOC have been approved.  They will be polling for 5 Desk Techs and 2 Clerical positions as soon as this week.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your union tape, the place where we are Union and Proud of it.

Today is the 70^th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. On behalf of the Union, I want to remember those heroes who lost their lives on that infamous day.

This Thursday, December 8^th, will be a greater Rochester first ever community wide Day of Giving.  You may have seen it advertised on TV or heard it on the radio.  What is it?  It’s an opportunity to make a donation to the charity of your choice and help those in need this holiday season.

Simple as 1, 2, 3.

1 – Go to www.roctheday.org

2 – Choose from over 600 charities you want to support

3 – Give with a simple one-time online donation this holiday season

There are a lot of people suffering, especially homeless veterans.  Please consider a small donation.

What’s happening this week:

Your Union Officers met yesterday with representatives of the Desk Techs Unit 2 to discuss the contractual change consolidating the work schedules and overtime lists.  A Unit Meeting for all Desk Techs will be held next Tuesday, December 13^th.  Time and location to be announced.

On Tuesday, Vice President Rick Sanchez, Secretary Marie Spendlove, and Myself met with HR to go over an outstanding list of issues.  They are:

1 – 2011 Bonus Metrics and results

2 – Time Reporting clerk backfills

3 – Grievance 6-1493-11 Contract Work Violation – Buildings

4 – Dates for Federal Mediation Training in January

5 – Outstanding stake out grievances

6 – Engineering Clerk MOA violations

7 – Settlement to remove written warnings for refusing to work mandatory OT

8 – Laser/safety issues

9 – Engineering Clerk postings

10 – Service issues

11 – CNOC positions to be filled by December 31^st

We have a lot of things to work on and get settled over the next couple of weeks.

A clarification on the post cards mailed out in regard to the Union Supplemental Disability Plan.  No action needs to be taken if you are keeping the plan for 2012.  If you wish to join or cancel, you must notify the Union by December 23^rd.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your union tape, the place where we are Union and Proud of it.

Frontier Members -

Postcards went out last week for the Union’s Supplemental Disability Plan.

If you are already enrolled in the disability plan and wish to continue, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING.

Please call the Union Office ONLY if you wish to cancel your enrollment or sign up if you are not currently in the plan.

Thank you and we apologize for any confusion.

A post card was mailed from the Union Office in regard to open enrollment for the Union Supplemental Disability Plan.  You have until December 23^rd to sign up or drop it.  The only change to the Plan is the cost of the weekly premium went down from $9.25 to $9.00 effective January.  If you have any questions, please call Marge or Angela.

The Company has cancelled the Federal Mediation Training originally scheduled for December 6^th and 13^th for the Executive Board and active Stewards.  They have cited the no overtime directive and staffing issues as the reasons.  The Executive Board and Stewards will be notified accordingly when it is rescheduled.

The Union has had discussions with the Company with regards to service concerns.  Please forward tickets or CWA trouble reports to your Executive Board, Stewards, or Union Office, where customers have been dissatisfied with our service due to reappointment and no overtime.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your union tape, the place where we are Union and Proud of it.

The ballots for election of Vice President were counted and reported to the membership tonight.  Network Tech Carl Ellis was declared the winner.  I want to congratulate Carl on his new position.

I would also like to take the time to thank Vice President Rick Sanchez for his hard work and passionate service to the Union over the past 3 years.

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your union tape, the place where we are Union and Proud of it.