30 years ago, on August 6, 1989, more than 60,000 union workers in New England and New York went on strike against Nynex, beginning a 17-week battle against corporate greed.  The extremely profitable company was looking for cuts to healthcare benefits, and the two unions, IBEW & CWA, refused to back down to company demands. Over the next four months, workers manned picket lines, held rallies, and built community and political support, with chants of “Hold the line in “89!”

The unions were successful, but it was a hard-fought battle. During the strike many people made sacrifices, but two members, Buzzy Farren from IBEW 2222 in Boston and Gerry Horgan from CWA 1103 in NY sacrificed their lives. Both were killed during the strike, and IBEW & CWA began to wear red, symbolizing the blood that was shed in our struggle.

This responsibility of wearing red on Thursdays should not be taken lightly. It is our way of showing our solidarity, and it is our way to show that we do not and will not forget our brothers. They laid down their lives for us – the least we can do is remember them by wearing red on Thursdays.

The solidarity forged during ’89 continues today and was instrumental in us attaining a four-year contract extension through August 5, 2023.

So let’s not forget our brothers and sisters who came before us, and give thanks for their sacrifices, especially the sacrifices of Buzzy & Gerry.

The Labor Guild School of Labor-Management Relations Fall Term begins September 9th

Since 1953, The Labor Guild School of Labor-Management Relations has been providing labor education and training to members of the labor movement with relevant, top-notch, and practitioner-led programs. Courses range in content, providing knowledge and skills for building just, ethical workplaces in Massachusetts and beyond. Instructors are experts in a wide range of fields, coming from the ranks of labor lawyers, union officers, arbitrators, and more.

All courses will be held at the Labor Guild (in the Archdiocese Pastoral Center), 66 Brooks Drive in Braintree, on Monday evenings 6:30-9:00 PM.  The Fall Term runs from September 9th – November 4th, and the cost is $125 for one or two courses.  IBEW Local 2222 will reimburse our members upon successful completion.

Please CLICK HERE for a list of courses and to register.

IBEW 2222 Member Kevin McLaughlin, an SST at the Braintree garage, is raising funds for a service trip to Kenya

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread human rights abuses, affecting one in three women and girls worldwide.

In Mwakirunge, Mombasa, there are high levels of child pregnancy, child marriage and FGM; all factors that prevent girls from finishing their education and living the lives they want.

Acts of violence are rarely reported because of the high costs associated with seeking justice. And, as the perpetrator is often known to the survivor, women and girls can lack the confidence to speak out, fearing reprisals or a backlash from their community.

In October 2019, working with UK ActionAid and the local community, Kevin, along with his wife Linda, and son John will spend 10 days in Mombasa, Kenya helping to build a support center, which will provide education and services to enable women and girls who have been abused to speak out, seek justice and enjoy their right to education in a safe and supportive environment.

If you’d like to support Kevin and his family in fighting violence against women and girls through support and education, please donate whatever you can to help build this support center.

Secure online donations can be made HERE.

After you donate, please email olivia.dandeker@actionaid.org
and provide Reference #3072562 to ensure Kevin’s team is credited with your donation.

Kevin and his family are grateful for your support!

Are you ready to complete your degree, earn a Masters, or further your education?  The NACTEL Program at Pace University is the answer for anyone in the telecom/communications industry.

The National Alliance for Communication Technology Education and Learning (NACTEL) is the premier source of online education to address critical employment needs in the evolving communications industry.

Pace University offers online courses, certificates, and degrees developed by the industry. You can earn an Associate, Bachelor, or Master Degree in the telecom / information technology disciplines, preparing you for real-world success in the communications industry with relevant online programs in Python, Security, Software Defined Networks, Cloud Computing and much more.

Not looking for a degree? Earn a certificate, or look into NACTEL’s new Badge Program.
A NACTEL Badge is a digital representation of a learned skill. Your Badge digital content can be shared on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.  NACTEL badges are recognized by AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink, Frontier Communications, IBEW, and CWA.

If you are a Verizon employee, the NACTEL Program qualifies for the Union negotiated VZ Tuition Assistance Program.

For more information on any of the NACTEL Program offerings, please attend one of the Virtual Open House Sessions on Tuesday, June 25th or Tuesday, July 9th.  Please Click Here for times and to register.

#PaceUniversity #NACTEL

 

Shannon Liss-Riordan, Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, received the first labor endorsements of the 2020 campaign for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. The endorsements come from members of the IBEW System Council T-6 which include IBEW Local 2222, IBEW Local 2321, IBEW Local 2322, IBEW Local 2323, IBEW Local 2324, and IBEW Local 2325.

“Receiving these endorsements from the working men and women of six IBEW locals, especially this early in the campaign, means the world to me,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan.

“I have always fought alongside working people, taking on big challenges, and I am so proud that the working people of the IBEW Council T-6 are standing with me. I am blown away by their willingness to back an outsider who believes that we need to break the cycle of politics in Washington.”

“Shannon’s long history of taking on powerful corporations, and winning, is the kind of experience our members need fighting for them every day in the United State Senate,” said Myles Calvey, Chairman of the IBEW System Council T-6 and Business Manager of IBEW Local 2222. “We are proud to offer the first labor endorsement of a candidate for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts.”

This endorsement comes just four weeks after Liss-Riordan launched her campaign for the United State Senate. The IBEW locals in the System Council T-6 represent over 5,000 telephone workers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities.  Visit www.shannonforsenate.com for more information.

Beginning July 1st, 2019 GP Strategies will be the new Tuition Assistance Program administrator for Verizon employees, replacing EdAssist.

In order to prepare for this transition, the Tuition Portal will not be available from June 15 through June 30, 2019.

During this period, employees won’t be able to submit new applications, grades, documentation, update applications or submit reimbursement requests. Also, EdAssist will not be issuing any payments, reimbursements or Letters of Credit during this time.

There will be a grace period following this systematic conversion for those administrative transactions that were due during this time.

In this regard, a communication will be sent out to those employees that have participated in the Tuition Reimbursement Program (TAP) within the past twelve (12) months that will provide administrative information and TAP portal requirements as well as instructions during this vendor transition.

We say all the time that we must elect pro-union candidates to political offices at every level of government. What better way to ensure this happens than having union members as candidates

Have you ever thought of running for elected office but weren’t quite sure where to begin? The MA AFL-CIO Union Member Candidate School is just for you.

Please click here for more information