NH Members, your friends and family in NH can use THIS LINK to look up your elected officials, and urge them to VOTE NO on Right to Work! 

Despite the misleading name, so-called “right-to-work” laws do not guarantee anyone a job and do not protect workers’ rights. 

“Right-to-work” laws prohibit trade unions from collecting fees to cover the cost of contract administration from employees who benefit from the protections of a collective bargaining agreement, but do not join the union. There are different versions of “right-to-work” legislation, but all so-called “right-to-work” laws are designed to limit the power of labor unions, and the workers they represent, to negotiate for better pay and working conditions.

Federal law requires trade unions to equally represent all workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement, regardless of union membership status. In states without so-called “right-to-work” laws, private employers and their employees are free to negotiate agreements that ensure everyone who benefits from a union contract contributes a share of the costs of obtaining and protecting those benefits. By prohibiting unions from asking non-members to pay a “service” or “fair share” fee to cover the basic costs of contract administration, so-called “right-to-work” laws give state governments the power to limit the terms and conditions that private-sector employers and their employees have a right to negotiate as part of a collective bargaining agreement.

Labor unions in “right-to-work” states are forced to absorb the costs of grievance and arbitration procedures on behalf of non-members who benefit from the terms of a bargaining agreement, but who do not contribute to the union’s operating fund. By draining resources and hurting the ability of unions to grow, “right to work” laws are consistently linked with lower average wages and reduced workplace safety for all working people in states that have passed the legislation.

Well-funded “right-to-work” proponents include the National Right to Work Committee, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and Americans for Prosperity. While supporters typically claim that “right-to-work” laws are necessary to attract new businesses and increase employment opportunities, rigorous economic studies fail to validate such claims.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

NH AFL-CIO 2017 briefing pamphlet (PDF): Know the Facts About Right to Work

A Tale of Two States (and what it tells us about so-called “Right to Work” laws)
By Ross Eisenbrey and Teresa Kroeger, Economic Policy Institute, January 12, 2017

“Right-to-Work” States Still Have Lower Wages
By Elise Gould and Will Kimball, Economic Policy Institute, April 22, 2015

We are pleased to announce that IBEW Local 2222 & NCR have reached a tentative agreement on a first contract.  Letters have been mailed to the affected members.

Please take a moment to fill out the contact form below. Welcome to the IBEW 2222 Family!

We currently have more members who have tested positive for COVID-19 than we have at any point since this pandemic began.  COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths across the United States are rising. Take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19.

We at Local 2222 know what it means to stand united with our Union Brothers & Sisters. Let’s show our solidarity with frontline workers – nurses, police, firefighters, EMS, teachers, grocery workers, postal workers – by wearing our masks, by practicing social distancing, by adhering to all guidelines in place. Let’s keep them safe, keep our co-workers safe, keep ourselves safe, so we can all make it safely home to our families.

Please be advised that if you have applied for a COVID-19 LOA, including if you have been instructed to quarantine, the Verizon HR COVID-19 Group will contact you via email, using the email address you provided when completing the LOA form.  Please check your email frequently.

The IBEW & CWA reached an agreement with Verizon to extend the Work at Home Agreement through January 31, 2021.  Click HERE to read the agreement.

We have also reached an agreement to extend Home Garaging through January 31, 2021.  Click HERE to read the agreement. 

We have an opportunity to flip the United States Senate in favor of working people by winning the 2 runoff elections for U.S. Senate in Georgia on January 5th. We have joined with the national AFL-CIO and the Georgia AFL-CIO to plug into their member to member phone bank program and we need your help! Volunteer shifts are available Monday through Saturday each week and training will be provided by the national AFL-CIO. Please consider volunteering for this important election. If you are interested or would like more information please contact MA AFL-CIO Senior Organizer Brian Dunn at bdunn@massaflcio.org.

Housing Families is working to end family homelessness by providing safe, temporary shelter and quality affordable housing, so families can remain together.

Each year local 2222 supports Housing Families throughout the year, and especially during the holiday season. This year, due to the pandemic, Housing Families has asked that we donate gift cards for their families.  This will help keep the families safe and allow flexibility during these unprecedented times.

These are the most needed Gift Cards:

• Target
• Amazon
• Vanilla Visa
• Stop & Shop / Market Basket

Gift cards can be given to your steward. Housing Families has requested all donations be delivered by December 11, 2020. If you would prefer, you can use the link below to donate to the IBEW 2222 Benevolent Fund and we will purchase and deliver the gift cards.

Thank You For Your Support! 

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to earn a full $100 credit on your 2021 medical plan contributions. All you need to do is complete one of the five healthy actions below. One of these actions must be completed, even if you have completed the Health Assessment in the past. 

• Get a biometric screening either at home or at a Quest Patient Service Center. If you’ve already ordered the at-home kit, now’s the time to return it. To schedule, go to My Health Vault on WellConnect and click on the left column to sign in to Quest. 
• Participate in a volunteer activity in your local community. Visit the Verizon Volunteer Portal to get ideas, or choose a volunteer activity that’s important to you. 
• Participate in WebMD Coaching to start an achievable plan created by an expert coach. 
• Complete a WebMD Health Assessment in a few minutes online and learn how to improve your health. If you’ve previously taken a Health Assessment, you’ll need to either complete a new one or complete one of the four other healthy actions. 
• Choose a Primary Care Physician or complete an annual wellness visit to get the most from your health benefits, including yearly checkups, screenings and immunizations. If you already have a PCP, then you can complete an annual wellness visit with your healthcare provider.

To get started, go to the Verizon HealthZone and log in with your username and password. Then select Wellness Incentives in the top navigation. If you need help resetting your username and password, contact WebMD Customer Service at 1.855.326.5097. Select option 1 for Customer Service, then press 0 to speak with a representative.  

If you have questions, please contact the Verizon Wellness Team.

NOTES:

Please allow up to 5 business days for your $100 wellness credit to be reflected on your annual benefits summary.

You’re eligible to receive a $100 wellness credit once, whether you complete one or more of the five healthy actions. 
 

• To ensure your credit is reflected in your first check of 2021, you must complete one of the above actions no later 12/1/20
• If you complete the action after 12/1/20 but before 12/31/20 you will receive full credit for 2021, but this will not be reflected in the first few pay periods.
• Actions completed in 2021 will result in a prorated credit.

Effective immediately, Sedgwick will add the FMLA Medical Authorization Form to the Short Term Disability (STD) packet sent at the start of an absence.  This change due to feedback received from the Department of Labor that two separate authorizations are required.  Previously, only one authorization was included in the packet for both FMLA and STD claims. 

All employees will need to complete both the:

• FMLA Authorization (Voluntary Authorization to Seek Clarification or Authentication on FMLA and/or State FMLA Certification)
• STD authorization (Medical Authorization) in order for Sedgwick to contact the health care provider regarding either the FMLA or STD claim. 

With the upcoming retirement offer (EIPP) by VZ, there will be Retirement Planning Webinars offered by the following Financial Planners:

Scarborough Alliance:

For more information CLICK HERE, and to register please CLICK HERE.

A Message from Steve Raymond at Scarborough Alliance

Dear IBEW Member, 

We are pleased to share this copy of our recent webinar: Retirement Income and Investment Planning.  If you are interested, you can access the slides and recording, CLICK HERE .

We also invite you to fill out this brief survey to let us know what you thought about the event and what topics we should cover in the future.

Here are commonly asked questions from IBEW members who have attended previous workshops.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your situation, please contact me at (978) 239-6999.

Thanks again,
Steve

The Quincy Group:

Join Dan McCarthy in an important and informative webinar regarding the current EIPP.