02/05/2010 - 10:07am
Community rallies to support outstanding labor and community leader
By Rand Wilson
Over 1,000 people crowded into the Firefighters' Florian Hall in Dorchester last Friday to honor Jerry "Judgie" Leary who passed away after a valiant battle against cancer and give support to his bereaved family.
Leary was a telephone worker, lifelong Dorchester resident and well-known neighborhood guy. As a union activist and Vice President of IBEW Local 2222, he won the admiration of his co-workers during the legendary four month NYNEX strike and many subsequent battles with its successor companies Bell Atlantic and Verizon.
"The event far exceeded our expectations," said Donna Bohan, a Verizon Inside Tech and Local 2222 mobilization committee member who coordinated the event. "It was by far our largest and most successful fundraiser."
Pictures from the fundraising party may be viewed by Clicking Here.
"I was really impressed with the wide range of people that came out for Jerry," added Donna. "Who knew that he touched so many people from every walk of life? In addition to hundreds of our members, there were lots of labor leaders, politicians, sports coaches, people from his neighborhood as well as a few CEOs and business leaders. And I was especially happy to see so many of Jerry's kids friends."
02/05/2010 - 1:39pm
Contract negotiations for Verizon workers in California began on February 1 for an agreement that expires on March 13.
In 2008, California union members supported VZ East workers' campaign to win a good contract.
Today, Verizon workers at the Wildwood Garage in Woburn wore red and stood outside until just minutes before their start times to show their Solidarity. In the freezing cold, members discussed management's attack on their wages and working conditions, Verizon's scheme to sell its landlines, and the need for workers to stand together and fight for the good jobs our communities need.
In less than a year-and-a-half their union will be back at the table with management to negotiate a contract for about 85,000 Verizon workers on the East Coast (Maine to Virginia). What workers in California achieve will impact their future health care, pension benefits, job security and organizing rights.
01/29/2010 - 12:46pm
By Steve Early
REPUBLICAN SCOTT Brown’s Senate victory last week deprived President Obama and the Democrats of their filibuster-proof super-majority in the Senate and made Obama’s health care plan a high-profile casualty. There was also collateral damage for already-frustrated union backers of the president. The White House staffers and congressional leaders who’ve been assuring them that labor law reform was next on Obama’s agenda now can’t prevent a filibuster of the Employee Free Choice Act.
The act was designed to boost aid worker organizing and bargaining in the private sector, where union membership dropped 10 percent last year, the largest decline in 25 years. But employee free choice set off a firestorm of business opposition, long before Obama backed the legislation as a candidate last year.
Corporate America does not want to risk heavier penalties for committing unfair labor practices, like firing union supporters. And management is particularly incensed about the bill’s “card check’’ provision. It would trigger collective bargaining wherever a majority of workers signed cards demonstrating their support for unionization.
During the health care reform process, some industry groups ended up allying themselves with the administration, in return for lucrative concessions. Even prior to last week’s election, an informal Capitol Hill committee was cooking up a compromise on labor law reform to appease wavering Democrats.
01/23/2010 - 7:21pm
Dear Sisters & Brothers,
My name is Carlos Castillon, President of C.W.A. local 9588 in Colton, California. I am a cable splicer in the Indio Yard. I represent the largest Verizon local on the West Coast and we are READY! Our current bargaining agreement expires March 13, 2010, the first day of bargaining will be on February 1st, 2010. I write you this letter in hopes of receiving your support during the upcoming negotiations with Verizon.
All District 9 Locals have agreed to a day of action on Feb.1st. We will be picketing outside the Verizon office in Thousand Oaks, CA, where the negotiations will be held. We have asked all of our members to stand united at the entrances of all work locations until the start of their shift and walk in together, especially at the yards/garages. This is to continue everyday until we get a fair contract. We have asked that no one upload a service order/repair ticket until their start of day, additionally no one upload a service order/repair ticket until their start of day, and no one should be "signing on" or "logging into their computers" until the start of shift.
For the past several months we have been instructing our members to "work to the rule" by following all company & safety policies such as vehicle and tool inspections, stretching exercises etc. This has been a very effective tool in agitating management. We have also asked that they continue to provide the quality, professional service to our customers as we were trained to do.
Brothers& Sisters of this Great Union! I call on you to STAND with us in support and solidarity to show Verizon we are ONE Union.
Now is the time to mobilize our members like never before. The Labor Movement must continue to move forward! NO TAKEBACKS!!!
SI SE PUEDE!! (Yes We Can)
J. Carlos Castillon, President
CWA Local 9588
01/15/2010 - 9:05am
Union intervenors rip proposed Frontier settlement
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio urged to reject stipulation as contrary to the public interest
"No assurances that Frontier will have the financial strength to reliably operate and maintain Verizon Ohio."
In a legal brief filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) on Friday, CWA and IBEW urged that commissioners reject the proposed sale of Verizon's landlines to Frontier as being contrary to the public interest.
In addition, the unions urged rejection of a proposed stipulation as being "wholly inadequate in that it fails to meaningfully address the fundamental problems with the proposed transaction." This stipulation was reached by the PUCO staff, the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, Verizon and Frontier on December 8, the day before the Commission's scheduled hearing on the proposed deal.
Recommended Rejection of Verizon's Proposed Sale to Frontier
Scott J. Rubin, the labor intervenors' attorney, submitted the unions' 39-page summary of the available evidence and legal argument with a clear message for Ohio's commissioners, "Labor's opposition is based on one over-arching concern: Frontier is not financially fit to own and operate Verizon's landline operations… [Frontier's] lack of financial fitness cannot be cured or subject to a compromise -- it simply renders the applicant unfit to assume the responsibility for serving more than half a million citizens of Ohio with an essential public service."
