These programs are created by staff personnel at Qwest in order to remove people from the headcount. I can’t make this any plainer for you. Our jobs are under attack. Our working conditions are under attack. The company tries to control the work; however we know they are doing a bad job of it

Techs need to keep a notebook to track what they do during the day. It is important that you write down what you are doing on every job and between jobs. If for any reason you are out of route you could be disciplined and without your notes explaining the reason for being out of route, the only documentation will be the company’s such as GPS and orders.

Things to Document:

1. Late out of the garage in the morning, call the manager and let them know and then document what you said and what the manager said and the reason for being late out of the garage
2. Take notes on what the manager tells you in the morning before work or during work.
3. Keep notes on safety meetings.
4. Keep notes when you are out of work and ask the supervisor to find work for you.
5. If you leave the garage and then pull in to a parking lot to make calls to the customer, document it and keep it in your notebook. (Do not leave your notebook at work)
6. If for any reason you are out of route document it and call your supervisor for permission and document it.

This local intends to grieve every instance or action taken by the company, documented discussions, written warnings, and warnings of dismissal. We need your help as a member in order to represent you.

Remember, the company has the burden of proof. It is your responsibility to maintain the facts on your behalf. That will give the union a basis for the argument. The notes taken by you are critical, should you be interrogated, dismissed, suspended, or worse, terminated.

Investigatory Interviews

We have made this information available numerous times, but it is good to reiterate it again. Know your rights! The rights of employees to have a union steward present during an investigatory interview were decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975 in the NLRB vs. J. Weingarten Inc.

An investigatory interview occurs when a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information which could be used as the basis for discipline or when the employee is asked to defend his or her conduct.

Weingarten Rights:

The employee must make a clear request for union representation before or during the interview. The employee cannot be punished for this request. After the employee makes the request, the employer must either: grant the request and delay questioning until the union representative arrives and has a chance to consult privately with the employee. Or deny the request and end the interview immediately. Or Give the employee a choice of either (1) having the interview without representation or (2) ending the interview.

If the employer denies the request for union representation and continues to ask questions, it commits an unfair labor practice and the employee has a right to refuse to answer.

Before going in to a meeting with management you should ask “CAN I BE DISCIPLINED FOR ANYTHING I SAY IN THIS MEETING?” If management tells you that a steward is not needed or refuses to stop a meeting, consult a steward immediately after the meeting.

The old adage, a day’s work for a day’s pay continues to be a useful slogan. Workers have an intimate connection to the work we perform. Management must recognize this. We know the company has not sought input from us before implementing these plans. This employer has failed to discover the day to day glitches.

Randy Grams, Pres