CWA Local 1170

Frontier Retirees – your open enrollment healthcare packets are going to be mailed on Monday.  Check your mail, as you should start receiving them next week.  The company will be holding meetings on November 12^th at W. Henrietta Rd at 8am, 10am, Noon, and 2pm to answer any questions and discuss any changes.

Statements from First Niagara, the Administrator of your CWA Local 1170 Retirement Plan, will be mailed next week.

Current Take the Lead results as of October 28^th – Several hundred Union Members have generated 1.374 million dollars in new revenue so far this year.  We have reached the 1.15% payout of payroll to be paid out around Christmas.  If we generate $126,000 in revenue over the next 45 days, we will hit 1.5% payout of payroll, which would be the largest payout ever made under this plan.  Thanks to everyone who contributes.  Peg Kalbfus, who was in charge of the Take the Lead Program locally, and who your Union representatives built a positive working relationship with, is leaving her position to work on a Verizon Integration Initiative.  I want to wish her well and lots of luck.

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

Follow link below for all the info. Hope Frontier isn’t next.

Click to read

Today Frontier’s shareholders will vote on several proposals involving the merger of Verizon properties in 14 states to Frontier.  To be certain, this deal is so confusing that you know lawyers and bankers are getting rich.  The deal involves the following: Frontier is combining with New Communications Holdings, Inc., which is referred to as Spinco, which is a newly formed subsidiary of Verizon Communications, Inc referred to as Verizon.  Are you confused yet???  You know the lawyers had a field day with this as the same assets have been given four different names.  I think Spinco is an appropriate name as following this deal makes your head spin.  It is more complicated than following health care reform.  Andy Rooney would have a field day with this.

It gets better.  Try to follow this: The merger will take place immediately after Verizon contributes the Spinco business to Spinco and distributes the common stock of Spinco to a 3^rd party distribution agent for the benefit of Verizon shareholders.  Following the merger, the separate existence of Spinco will cease and the combined company will continue to operate under the Frontier name.  Does anybody understand what the hell that means?

Now I’m really starting to get concerned how much the lawyers and bankers are going to make.  Which leads me to the bottom line.  How many employees are going to lose their jobs so the lawyers and bankers get theirs.  I’m sure they’re not working for $7.25/hr for the complexity of this deal alone.  The New York State PSC should’ve asserted it’s jurisdiction to review this deal to make sure the interest of consumers and employees were looked after.  They failed to do so and in my opinion failed New Yorkers.

This deal will be approved today by the shareholders and only time will tell who the winners and losers are.  It is my hope that the winners are the hard-working men and women who set the poles, spliced the cables, install and maintain our services, and deal with the customers every day.  I will be the first one to say I hope this deal ends up creating a stronger company with more resources to invest for the future and deliver products and services that customers demand vs. more layoffs and cost cutting at the expense of those who’ve built the company.

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

The election committee is looking for an few good members to step up and join.

If you are one of these people please call the union hall and leave your name and contact info with either Marge or Angela and they will forward this info to Mr. Sarkis who is the chairman of said committee.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you.

At Monday night’s Unit 6 meeting, nominations for officers were made.  Jerry Ingerick was elected Chairperson and Ken Anderson was elected Vice Chair.  Congratulations to both.

Frontier members are now eligible to start signing up for your 2010 benefits.  You must enroll either online or by calling the Employee Benefit Service Center phone number on the postcard mailed to your house.  Pay close attention and make sure you print out your confirmation worksheet.

November 1^st is the beginning of vacation selection for 2010.  Please be aware that the vacation schedules will be distributed soon.  For those with more than 25 years, to bank a week’s vacation for next year you need to make the company aware before December according to the Contract.  New Membership Cards were sent out in May.  If you didn’t receive one, please call the Union Hall.

This is your Union President John Pusloskie thanking you for calling your Union tape.