IBEW 2222 News

Open Letter to all Younger Members

Website Editor — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:43:18 -0500

There are two words in the English vocabulary that are rarely used. It’s a phrase we don’t say very often and take it for granted. The phrase is “thank you”.

So to all my brother and sisters who walked the line for me and built this union the way it is today, I say “thank you” for everything you have done.

Now I call upon my young brothers and sisters to answer the call and stand up for this union. The labor movement across this country is fading fast. It’s up to us now to put life back into it. I have been involved with the union since day one. For fifteen years I have been jumping at opportunities to help out in any way I could. The only problem was it was the same group of us helping out. For to long the young membership has sat back and reaped the benefits of this local.

We are facing some tough times ahead. Do not rely on just me and our group to pull us ahead. We need your help. Together we can bring the comradery back and be close as we were before. Though we faded apart it is not too late. As the Futures representative on the Greater Boston Labor Council for Local 2222 I strongly urge you to get involved, come to the union, futures, and cope meetings to see how you can help out.

Let’s not let down our brothers and sisters before us, let’s make them proud

Fraternally Yours,

Patrick Atwell

Help Keep Good Union Jobs in America

Website Editor — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:53:21 -0500

The Whirlpool Corp. plans to start closing its refrigerator plant in Evansville, Ind., on March 26. The refrigerators now manufactured at this plant will be produced in Mexico, eliminating 1,100 local jobs. Meanwhile, Whirlpool--the world's largest home appliance maker--enjoys healthy profits and has received a $19 million economic matching grant that should be creating jobs here in America. This is outrageous and unacceptable, especially in light of Whirlpool’s profitability and the $19 million dollars in economic recovery money Whirlpool recently received from the federal government as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Those are OUR economic recovery funds, not Mexico’s.

To protest Whirlpool’s decisions and demand good jobs in America, I’m heading to Evansville next Friday to rally and march with local workers and labor leaders—and I’d like you to join me. No, I’m not asking you to join me in person, but I would like you to sign a petition in solidarity with the Evansville workers for me to deliver to Whirlpool’s management. Too many people have lost their jobs. Too many jobs have been sent overseas. Enough is enough. Whirlpool’s management can’t take our money, shut down our factories and lay off our workers. It’s not acceptable—and together we’re going to deliver a loud and clear message to Whirlpool: Keep It Made in America and Save Our Jobs.

To sign the petition please go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/evansville

Arlington Mobilizes Over Double Poles

Website Editor — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:44:54 -0500

IBEW Local 2222 members kick-off double pole safety campaign in Arlington

Local 2222 members and Arlington residents gathered at the Fox Branch Public Library with several community activists to talk about how hundreds of double poles in town could cause safety problems and are a visual blight on the community. Pictured from left to right are: George Laith, John Kerr, John Janetti, John Melly, Diane Mahon, Rich Taddeo, John Healy, Bob Tiezzi, Pete Gentile. The group made plans to mobilize citizens in Arlington to fix double pole problems.

Help us Tell Stop & Shop if They Strike, our business is 100% off

Website Editor — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:40:00 -0500

Support our Brothers & Sisters at Stop & Shop

Thousands of grocery workers throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut - members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local Unions 1445, 328, 371, 1459, and 919 - are bargaining with their employer, Stop & Shop, for a fair contract. The current contract expires Feb. 20. But Stop & Shop is taking an adversarial and confrontational position by placing advertisements in local papers, announcing the company is hiring temporary replacement workers.

This tactic is unnecessary and unproductive. Stop & Shop should focus its energy into negotiating a good contract with the local workers it already has -- the same workers who have made Stop & Shop the number one supermarket in the areas in which it operates. Those workers and their communities deserve the company's loyalty in return, not scare tactics that needlessly frighten workers and customers. Stop & Shop can and should do better by its workers and customers.

That is why we are asking everyone to print out the attached coupon and hand it to a Store Manager with your reciept at the end of your next shopping trip. We need to let Stop & Shop know that they will lose our business if they push workers out on strike and hire replacement workers, and they need to see how much business they will lose. Solidarity matters!

Coast to Coast Solidarity at Verizon!

Website Editor — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:39:35 -0500

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.

Leary Family Fundraiser exceeded all expectations...

Website Editor — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:07:39 -0500

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."

Labor Needs a New Survival Plan

Website Editor — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:46:13 -0500

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.

VZ Unions in CA need our support

Website Editor — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:21:14 -0500

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

Union Intervenors Rip Proposed Frontier Settlement

Website Editor — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:05:06 -0500

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."

A message to all IBEW members at Verizon from Myles Calvey

Website Editor — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:59:58 -0500

January 29 will be opportunity to honor Local 2222's Jerry Leary

Happy New Year to all of you and your families.

I am certainly glad to see the end of 2009. It was a year was filled with an incredible number of deaths of both our active and retired members. But none impacted the local more than our beloved Vice President -- Jerry Leary.

Jerry would NEVER want to be made larger in death than he was in life, but his loss to this local reflects just that. He was our organizer, he was our political negotiator and he was our representative at both the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Greater Boston Labor Council.

We plan to honor Jerry and his family with a fundraiser on Friday, January 29 at Florian Hall in Dorchester, MA beginning at 7:00 PM.

If you cannot attend, you can make a contribution by sending a check to the Leary Family Fund, c/o Local 2222 IBEW Benevolent Fund, 1137 Washington Street, Dorchester, MA 02124

Jerry would be the first to say, "Don't Mourn -- Organize to Keep the Movement Going." In his honor, we have to move on. I am pleading with this ENTIRE membership to get more involved with your local union. Our only strength comes from membership involvement and our unity of purpose.

You can become involved by getting more active in our day-to-day union work, our political initiatives or our community causes. There is something for EVERYONE. Jerry Leary was active in all three. If you only pick one, with just a little effort you can make a huge difference in the lives of so many people as Jerry did:

Jerry was our "Go to Guy" to fix things that could not be fixed in the grievance and arbitration procedure. Now others will have to step up to do that work.
Jerry was our strong voice at City Council meetings and on Beacon Hill. Now others will have to step up to attend those meetings.
Jerry fought for workers who have no voice at work by reaching out and helping them to build on the job unity and win their rights. Now others will have to step up to meet with Comcast workers, NCR techs, Verizon engineers and many other employees.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "When a great man, dies, for years the light he leaves behind him, lies on the paths of men."

Help keep Jerry's light shining!