CWA Local 1170 President’s Report – September 20th, 2017

Frontier Updates:

Membership Counts by title as of 8/31/17

Resignation:

Retirement:

LTD Absences:

Frontier 2nd Step Grievance Meetings

July 25th, 2017

Gr 7-1473-17

The Company has management and Unite members performing craftwork, which was previously performed by CWA Local 1170 Clerical Unit.

As of this report the Company hasn’t provided an answer.  Union Rep Susan Phillips is working on.

Gr 7-1472-17

Beginning on or about March 12th the Company hasn’t administered call outs according to the contract or past practices.  Union Rep Andy Cimino is working on.

As of this report the Company hasn’t provided an answer.

August 22, 2017

1-777-17

The Union became aware on or about June 1st that other employees of the Corporation have been performing work assigned to Switch techs in the Systems group.

1-778-17

Evidence shows that the Company has contractors and Engineers performing changes to Metro E Network equipment.

1-779-17

Gary Underwood a Sr. Network Engineer is performing craft work

1-780-17

Evidence shows that individuals have performed maintenance and repair service work, which has been regularly performed by the bargaining unit.

2-2581-17

Kurt Fitzgerald received an unfair/Unjust Verbal Warning dated June 21st.

7-1474-17

The Company is denying Carrier Techs access to Metro E configurations involving BGP concerns.

Arbitration Update:  

• Transfer of bargaining unit work due to M6 Conversion.
• The Arbitration has been scheduled for October 2nd, 2017. CWA attorney Atul Atwar will be coming to Rochester on August 28th to prepare with CWA 1170 Staff and Stewards.
• The National Labor Relations board has issued a complaint against Frontier for not responding to the Unions information request in the matter.

Take the Lead Sales Monthly Reports:

January 1, 2017-June 30th 2017

No Update from Cathy Roller since the last report.

Managerial Changes:

Cathy Ouellette Terminated as of August 31st

Bryan Conklin given responsibility for Time Reporting

Commercial Noc Center:

September there was no meeting due to lack of agenda.

New Hire Mary Beth Clear has been assigned to the CPE group.  She is being assigned to a day tour for 30 days in order to provide training.  The Union has made it very clear to the Company that choice of tour goes by seniority.

The Company would like to discuss parameters for acting management.

Frontier Updates:

Frontier Updates August 17th to September 20th.

• August 16th, Sue Phillips and John Pusloskie discuss with Bill Carpenter Director of operations to the MyTime App.  The following was communicated to the Union.
  • Intent is to have management in different departments approve/authorize payroll where Cathy Ouellette was doing it.
  • No intent to take Time reporting clerks job functions, they will keep everything they have today.
  • Bill has requested that they have read access.
  • No intent to get rid of them.
• August 22nd the Company notified the Union of a force reduction of 8 employees from operations.  The job classifications impacted were the Sales and Service, Network tech and Communications Coordinator II.
• August 18th Work requests changes announced by Frontier were challenged by the Union.  We sent a joint demand to bargain with CWA 1298, the Company quickly clarified that the changes didn’t involve CT and NY to resolve the demand to bargain.
• August 16th the Union closed grievance on MOA New jobs as the company finally fulfilled its obligation to hire the last employee into the Desk Tech classification.
• September 7th met with Tracy Owen and Nancy Phillips from Frontier to address the June 2017 MOA engineering clerks. Some of the issues addressed were the following
  • OSP final posting PA., intent is still to bring it to Rochester, waiting on outside vendor to do conversion and Q/A by frontier
  • Over 80 offices need to be converted.
  • Ogden telephone posting were doing
  • No preposting and final posting is being done by engineers
  • Article 16 continuous service Sick time
    • Employees hired directly from other parts of the Company have continuous service.  The company has agreed to bridge this time for sick time eligibility.  Tracy Owen has committed to sending us a letter
  • Call out Process/Grievance/Settlement offer
    • The Union has a proposed settlement offer as of August 4th that the Company hasn’t responded to.  The Union has sent a letter as of 9/19 if we don’t receive the information requested we will be going to the NLRB.

Safety Committee:

No report

Affiliate Report:

AT&T Mobility:

September 15th the Union presented the grievance concerning the termination of Retail Sales consultant Brendon Frazier at 2nd step.  ARSM Shariq Jamal denied the grievance and the Union has requested a 3rd step meeting with Stephen Papageorge.

The Union continues to mobilize as negotiations have continued.  CWA members recently spent a week in Washington DC meeting with members of congress advising them about AT&T’s tactics and negotiations.  

Major issues continue to be the following:

• Part timing Full Time retail work
• Offshoring Call Center work
• Unfair Attendance policy
• Inconsistent commission plans that continue to diminish pay.

Town of Greece:

Gold Badge Club:  The Current CBA terminates December 31, 2017

The Union has sent a request to bargain requesting dates.

Greece Part Time Unit:

The Town reneged on the Tentative agreement reached on April 13th.  The parties went back to the State Mediator on June 26th with no progress.  The state mediator suggested fact finding as the parties next option.  The current CBA expired on December 31, 2013.  The Union has requested fact finding and the NYS PERB has assigned a mediator to the case.  

Town of Greece Crossing Guards:

Arbitration hearing concerning the unjust dismissal of Sharon Delucia concluded on Monday of April 25th, 2016.  The Union received a decision sustaining the grievance ordering the grievant back to work and full back pay.  The Town has refused to comply with the arbitrator’s decision.

Update:  The Town appealed the Arbitrators decision to State Supreme court where the Judge has issued a ruling that is somewhat unclear.  The Judge overturned the Arbitrators decision based on the grievant not having arbitration rights under the CBA but directed the case back to Arbitration.  The Union has appealed the Supreme court decision as of September 11th.

Contract Negotiations:  Contract negotiations started on a successor agreement which expired on December 31st.  The Town has demanded major concessions as part of this negotiations.

The Parties went back to mediation for a second time at the end of June and were still unsuccessful in reaching an agreement.

City of Canandaigua DPW:  

The Union has introduced a grievance at 1st step with commissioner of public works over the policy to have employees write letters concerning motor vehicle accidents

Town of Canandaigua Employees Highway Association:

The Town and the Union have reached a tentative agreement which has been ratified by the members and approved by Town Board.  The Contract has been assigned and executed.  Below are some of the highlights.

• Two-year agreement that expires December 31st 2018.
• Wage increases of 1.75% and 2% retroactive to January 1st.
• New 3 year wage progression table.
• Health care benefits guaranteed and written into the contract.
• Grievance procedure that allows members to address issues.

Town of Henrietta:

The Union has introduced a grievance at first step with the Commissioner of Public works concerning the hiring of an MEO bypassing laborers.  Their has been a long standing practice has been to promote Laborers before hiring off the street

Village of Waterloo PBA:

The next scheduled negotiation session is September 22nd.  The Union has had a proposal on the table since March with no response from the Village.

Political Action Committee:

Work continues in New York on many issues important to our members. Bills have been introduced concerning Maintenance of the Copper Telephone network, Fios and the fiber buildout of broadband, A call center Bill, A universal health care bill, and other issues.

Wisconsin, Kentucky, and West Virginia are the latest three states to introduce right to work legislation.

Negotiations will begin shortly for our represented workers in the following places.

Town of Conesus, Town of Bristol, and the Town of Groveland as well as the Gold Badge Club in Greece.

Other:

The conversion of the Stable Value Fund in the CWA Local 1170 Retirement Plan is complete.

Audits are in process on the Retirement Plan and Health and Welfare Fund.