President's CornerThe summer is fast approaching, and it is a good time to remind members at Qwest, bargaining is but a short 15 months away. It is time to begin putting money away in the event of a work stoppage. There are a number of agencies available to help those of you that may be overextended on your bills and have trouble putting money away. Please contact members of our Community Services Committee for help in that regard. We have trained union counselors. Check your bulletin boards for names and numbers. Rumors circulate around Qwest being for sale, or certain companies are looking to buy or part Qwest out. It is true the company is finally reporting profits during the last two quarters. We know too well how they are cutting expenses and ramping up productivity. This helps their profit margins. They are elated they have improving ratings on the JD Powers surveys. They know and tell us “Customers think Qwest techs are #1 in service” compared to our competition, the unnamed cable giant. Qwest plans to spend 40% of their budget this year on deployment of “fiber to the node”. This was explained to the CWA presidents in April at a Denver meeting I attended. Mr. Notebaert and his senior staff gave us several items to consider. One, employees need to be accountable (thus GPS, QJD, CTEP, CQUE, etc.). They told us their ‘quality jobs per day’ program has put $30 million back in to the bottom line. It is understood by both sides, supervisor skills need to improve. There is a desire to open up dialogue between both parties prior to bargaining. They talked of forming a second level management training institute to help reach 2007 initiatives. Service is their top priority, and they want to utilize their capital wisely. CWA District 7 Vice President Annie Hill addressed the senior Qwest management team. Her message was to congratulate them on the big government contract they recently attained with Networx. However, she made it clear; we are at a crossroad in our relationships. We need face to face dialogue. Information requests are not timely, attrition is building in the Center environment, and various performance plans are difficult to understand and work with. We are looking for our share when we come to the table next summer. We need to start face to face dialogues now and seek to understand each others’ issues. Qwest lost 483,273 access lines in 2006. Retirees now outnumber active employees. We have serious issues to face. Retiree health care will be in the crosshairs next time. |
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According to Teresa Taylor Qwest EVP of Human Resources, health care has increased twice as fast as the Gross Domestic Product. She proclaimed that 33% of companies provided health care in 2005. She stated there are 48,500 retirees, and 39,000 active employees with more dependants. She expects 8-10% increase is expected in health care costs next year up $70 million. What does that mean to us? The company will bring a pot of money to the table, and then we need to figure out where to spend it. Remember, we did not take wage increases during 2 contract extensions while Qwest was suffering from the Nacchio era. We deserve to get our share; our members need to be prepared to do what is necessary to accomplish our goals. We will need to stand united and remember, an injury to one, is an injury to all. Boise, Idaho hosted the recently concluded CWA District 7 Conference. “Motivating, Educating, Activating” was the theme of the conference. We heard presentations on the Defense Fund Oversight Committee (strike fund) which now has a war chest of over $380 million. The Strategic Industry Fund which was approved last year at Convention provides a strong offense for education and action. The “Speed Matters” project to educate and improve high speed internet access to all Americans in all locations, is funded this way. We are working to reverse laws in right to work states and campaign to educate and motivate our legislators about the Employee Free Choice Act. District 7 Goals, Creating a Healthy Local, reports from the Retired Members Council and Video presentations from other District Vice Presidents also were presented. The final day and a half were busy with workshops on Family and Medical Leave Act, Grievances, Roberts Rules of Order, Building a Steward’s Army, Developing Leaders, and Organizing and Mobilizing. It is imperative that this local participate in all programs and activities within our district. Thanks to our Officers, Executive Board, Stewards, the membership and our retirees! In solidarity, Randy Grams President. Druthers Process and Local AgreementsSeveral years ago a process was developed by which Network Technicians had a method of moving to crews or work groups within the RCA. This process was established to provide a means to fill positions from within the RCA first, before posting Job Vacancy Requests, via the upgrade and transfer plan/now known as Post and Bid. At that time a druthers committee was made up of a union representative appointed by the local and a supervisor appointed by the Area manager. The committee is charged with reviewing the current druthers list monthly and/or whenever a position is open. The committee is responsible for determining the most qualified candidate. If no candidate is qualified, the most senior candidate will be identified. The committee will contact the supervisor of the candidate and verify the candidate still meets all criteria. This process is not intended to take the place of the Upgrade and Transfer plan/Post and Bid. It can be modified or terminated at any time after discussion between CWA and the company. Currently, the Druthers committee consists of Rick Beaver/CWA, and Kaare Gimse/Qwest supervisor. Any questions should be directed to them. This process and the guideline document will be posted on our web site, www.cwalocal7804.org Additionally, all Local Agreements between local 7804 and the Greenwood organization will be posted as well. New Stewards Army Online Course: Speed & Public PolicyApril 13, 2007 (from national website) CWA has launched the first of a series of free online, interactive training courses as part of the effort to build a Stewards Army of activists for grassroots action on key issues and campaigns. Developed by CWA/NETT’s professional trainers, the course is a user friendly and self-paced look at “The Changing Telecom Industry and Why Speed Matters.” (It generally takes about 30 minutes to click through and answer short quizzes at the end of each topic, does require creating username and password). Log in today and check out the course at www.cwanett.org. Slides with text and animated graphics describe the major forces that are transforming the telecom world and changing job patterns for the future. These include the move away from wire line telecom with the emergence of wireless, the growth of Voice over Internet Protocol and competition from cable providers that currently have an edge with “triple play” services. Real high - speed Internet networks are the key to the survival of growth of CWA's employers and the source of job opportunity for our telecom members. But there are many political and policy roadblocks to overcome in transforming essentially a 20th Century phone network in to a communications system for the 21st Century Learn how CWA is mounting an ambitious Speed Matters campaign for job and economic growth and how CWA Stewards Army activists can play a key role in this fight for our job future. As President Larry Cohen says in the introduction to the course, "CWA has long recognized that stewards are the heartbeat and the strength of our unions." Join us as a Stewards Army activist as we ignite a new movement to change America's priorities. Those who join won't all be shop stewards in the traditional sense of handling grievances and enforcing contracts at the job site - a critically important job that is done by thousands of CWA stewards in countless locations. The Stewards Army is really about "stewardship" in a broader sense: stewardship to strengthen workers' bargaining and organizing rights and advocate for our other major goals - jobs, health care, and retirement security. The goal is to join CWA's 50,000 with another 500,000 or more activist from other major unions to create a powerful force to change the priorities of the country and refocus on an agenda for working families. The Stewards Army will include both active union members and retirees. Its action program will sometimes be directed at a CWA employer or workplace, and other times will be more broadly focused on a CWA industry goal or even a national issue such as health care. Actions can range from sending an e-mail message to participating in rallies, meeting with elected officials and mobilizing thousands for mass action. We need to reorient America's priorities - and to do that we need to ignite a movement. Join us! What is the Employee Free Choice Act?
LNO Labor Management ForumMay 1, 2007 announced by Reed Roberts, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President; CWA and Qwest have agreed to establish a labor management forum to discuss issues and concerns related to LNO. (Local Network Organization). Those selected to serve as CWA representatives to this group are: Reed Roberts, Administrative Assistant to the D7 Vice President, Lew Ellingson, CWA Staff, Brent Duvall, President Local 7603, Mike Rea, President Local 7601, Jeanne Stewart, President Local 7803, and Joie Welch, President Local 7101. Following the recent restructure of Qwest's LNO Organization, the following representatives were designated by the company: B Bob Tregemba, VP Local Network Operations, Andy Micah, VP UT/NM, Ranae Coddington, VP N&SD, MN, IA, NE, Scott Simanson, VP AZ, Randy Haggedorn, VP OR ID, Robert Joga, Director Labor Relations. The Initial meeting for this group has been set for May 24, 2007 in Denver, Colorado. This is under the guidelines of Letter of Agreement on pages 131, and 132 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
This is going to be an attempt to bridge gaps and try to find common ground around issues we are presently far apart on. We have two representatives from the old PNB area selected to participate in this forum; Jeanne Stewart from Renton, and Brent Duvall from Boise. Should you have recommendations, concerns, and ideas, input - positive or negative; share those with this Local and we will pass them on. As was stated at the District 7 conference, "Absent drastic change on the part of Qwest we are heading for a "train wreck" in August of '08. "Quote of the Day" 'If you're not angry, you are not paying attention!' Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Now is not the time for infighting amongst our members. This is the time to get smart and be effective. There are 24,000 union brothers and sisters in the Qwest bargaining unit counting on "US". It is never too early to mobilize and unite! R.G. H.R. 4, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA)This is in response to an analysis prepared by Bob Patrician, Research Economist at CWA Headquarters giving a brief explanation of the pension legislation adopted in 2006. This information was provided to the locals in January of 07, by Reed Roberts Admin Assistant to the VP for District 7. We understand that the Locals are getting a number of inquires from their members that the PPA will require some changes to our Pension Plan. These concerns primarily are with those units that allow 'lump sum' distributions in that the PPA will force a reduction in the amounts paid. Lump sums are calculated on the basis of an amount provided under the Plan. Under the Qwest Plan for example, the lump sum distribution is equal to ten years of annuity payments (the monthly pension amount x 12 x 10). The calculation then takes into account the 30 - year Treasury rate. Under this pre-existing formula; the higher the interest rate, the lower the lump sum distribution. The rationale for this is that the higher the interest rate, the higher the return on investments, so the lower the lump. When interest rates are low, the return on investments is lower, the lump is bigger. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 was aimed at those employers whose Pension Plans were under-funded and has little to no effect on our existing pension plans in telecommunications. It does mean a lot for our members in the airline industry who were impacted by the defaulting and bankruptcy of some of those major employers. In short, the law does not require that the contractual formulas negotiated with employers such as Qwest be changed as a result of the new legislation nor have any or our employers approached us about doing so, therefore our Plans continue as negotiated. Any questions or concerns may be directed to the District 7 office. For a full read on Research Economist Bob Patrician's article, visit our website and click on the link for (PPA). CWA Retired Members' CouncilWho speaks for Retirees? The CWA Retired Members' Council. Join the Retired Members' Council by becoming a life time member. Your membership will help in our fight to protect our retirement security. We in the RMC (Retired Members Council) serve as guardians of the benefits we worked so hard to achieve in negotiations with employers at the bargaining table and through legislation in Congress. Together, the RMC needs to take on those who view retired workers as expendable liabilities. Join Us. We May Be Retired, But Our Activism as CWA Members Has Not EndedWe're part of a growing army of tens of thousands of CWA retirees who are working with CWA - through the RMC - to protect benefits and programs that are critical to our retirement. By uniting together in the Council, we are supporting CWA's efforts to stand up for workers and retirees. We also work to elect local, state and federal candidates who will protect current and future retirees-not sell us out. Getting a lifetime Membership in the RMC is easy. You can sign up and pay your one-time $25 membership fee online at www.CWAretirees.com. RMC members are entitled to participate in the money-saving CWA Union Privilege program which provides dozens of popular services and discounts to CWA members and retirees. Should you have questions, please contact Phyllis Dionne, retiree who is the Secretary of Local 7810 in Olympia, and is on a District Committee for Health Care Advocates. You may reach her at: E-mail pjd1ped2@msn.com Service Anniversaries and RetirementsThe following members retired in April Jack Best Qwest C.O. Tech, 40 years The following are retiring with an offer of Voluntary Separation Payment Plan (VSPP) and have various leave dates through July. (The offer was only made to Network Technicians) Dennis Garrett, Qwest Net Tech, 39+ years Retiring Leaving on a Lateral Force Rearrangement to Idaho Beat of Luck to All!!!! All retirees will be invited to receive their retirement gift at the next meeting June 26, 2007 6 pm Service AnniversariesApril Denice Jacobson, Qwest C.O. 35 years |
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