CWA Local 1170

A reminder – Thursday’s Membership Meetings will be held at 8:30am, 10am, and 2pm at the Union Hall and 5:30pm at the Diplomat Party House on Lyell Ave.  You must show up to be eligible to vote.  We will be counting the ballots and announcing the results at the meeting.

Frontier stock proxies have been mailed out.  Please sign them and return to the Union Hall.  CWA Member George Fridd has sponsored a Shareholder Proposal, which will give shareholders a say on executive pay.  Please support his proposal.

Workers’ Memorial Day Ceremony will be held today at 5:30pm at Highland Park.  One of our own, Tom Luciano, who was killed on the job 30 years ago, is recognized every year on this day.

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

There will be a membership meeting Thursday, April 30^th, 2009.  The meetings will take place at the following times and locations:

8:30am @ the Union Hall

10:00am @ the Union Hall

2:00pm @ the Union Hall

5:30pm @ the Diplomat Party House – Lyell Avenue

If anyone hasn’t received a copy of the Agreement in the mail, please contact the Hall to make arrangements to get a copy.  Please make every effort to attend to get the facts.

The following members celebrated their anniversaries this month:

15 yrs – Carolyn Barron, Derrick Burroughs, Carol Lanos Brown

20 yrs – Laura Feathers, Sharon Highsmith, Dave Litzenberger, Jeff Tamol

Thank you for your years of service to the union movement.

I was in contact with CWA negotiators in Pennsylvania and the Company has given them their last and best final offer with no changes from the Agreement that was voted down.  They continue to fight on.

We also have 10 free tickets for Saturday night’s concert at the Main Street Armory featuring Tesla.  Doors open at 7pm.  First come first serve.

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

The Union and the Company met yesterday and reached an Agreement to extend the current contract 1 year to January 31st, 2011.  The Agreement calls for a:

1. 1.5% raise Feb. 1, 2010

2.  Job security to the end of the year for those hired after Jan. 1, 1999

3.  Job security for every one else to the end of the Contract

4.  Defer the 2009 bonus until 2010

5.  Increase to the Union Eye & Dental Plan

6.  Trial period Company uniform beginning Feb. 1, 2010 ending Jan. 31, 2011

7.  NO Furloughs

A letter with the Agreement will be mailed out today for your review.  We will be voting on it at our general membership meeting April 30, 2009.  The Agreement was reviewed and endorsed by a majority of your executive board members and officers last night.  

This is your President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your union tape.  It pays to be union.

It is with deep regret that I announce the passing of retiree Don Fox.  Don was hired in 1952 and retired in May of 1993 as an IR/PBX Tech with 41 years of service.  The Union extends our sincerest sympathies to the Fox Family.

Calling Hours are:  Thursday, April 16^th 7-9pm

Friday, April 17^th 2-4pm and 7-9pm

@ Richard Keenan Funeral Home

7501 Pittsford-Palmyra Rd

Fairport, NY

Mass will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 9am at the Church of the Assumption, Fairport. 

A thumbs up for the 17 people at W. Hen. Rd who provided fruits and desserts for the volunteers at Project Hope.  Thanks to Marie Spendlove for coordinating this.

Furlough Update – We received a partial response from Frontier in response to our information request.  The company didn’t provide information to their profitability, so at this point they’re asking us to blindly accept the furlough, which equates to a 6% pay reduction based on declining revenues.  I will keep you posted.

I have been in contact with other local presidents across the country and no unions have agreed to the furlough at this point.

Everyone have a safe holiday weekend.  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 have been counted for the representatives of the executive board for Unit 1 representing the Switch Techs, Carrier, CO Installers, PBX, and Sr. Frame Techs.  Ron Eygabroad and Bryan Renehan have been elected Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.  Congratulations to both of them.  

I’d like to thank Jim Bowen, Joanne Bauman, and Larry Snyder for their years of service representing their respective work groups on the Executive Board.  They have been dedicated, committed members to this Union and a credit to their work groups.

As I mentioned on Sunday’s tape, former President Linda McGrath is helping coordinate volunteer efforts for an extreme home makeover project for a deserving family.  This family has lost a young son to cancer and has a daughter diagnosed with a rare blood disease.  The community is rallying for this family building them a new house.  If any retirees or active members are interested in helping with the construction or providing food for the workers, please contact Linda at (585) 594-4643.

Local 1170’s annual United Way Campaign is starting this week.  We have always been a cornerstone of the United Way Campaign.  Please consider giving what you gave last year or a little more.  The needs of this community are many and the members of this local have always stepped up to help out.  You can make a difference.

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