President's Corner
Qwest continues to adjust our workforce according their budget constraints, evidenced by what has taken place in the Construction department. Techs are constantly going back and forth; moved to Maintenance or I&M, Mining Operations. Etc.
Our stewards and officers have been kept busy dealing with these issues During January I was involved in several conference call and face to face meetings on these matters.
Feb. 7th Qwest advised the 3 metro local CWA Presidents of their intention to go forward on canvassing for the new Broadband Tech title. Know that this is ‘on hold’ until May. We have agreement that the title was negotiated during bargaining. The agreement the Union had requested was to leave the 2 titles (Broadband and Net Tech) together for all purposes for at least the term of the agreement and assign the work in accordance with Article 7.3. They said they would give us half the request which is why we have not signed any agreement.
Feb. 15th, Jake Williams and I met with Director of Labor Relations Robert Joga, Stephanie Miles, Qwest Bargaining Agent and Ken Osborne, Qwest H.R... The company has combined functions of Labor Relations, Human Resources to deal with rank and file/management – work-place/contractual issues. We will watch this one.
Feb 27th CWA Dist 7 VP Annie Hill met with Washington locals to discuss goals for 2007. Accompanying me were S/T Jake Williams, and Chief Steward Gregg Sherwood.
Feb 28th the Department of Labor concluded their audit of our books and exit interview for the fiscal year 2004-2005. The audit went well, with limited suggestions. Also that day I took place in a regional conference call with all D-7 locals on the Broadband Tech issue.
Stories in this issue:
Now another limited VSPP offering is in the works for the Net Tech title. Thanks for all you do!
In solidarity, Randy Grams President.
About CWA COPE/Committee on Political Education
About CWA-COPE
CWA-COPE is the political action committee for the working men and women of CWA, their families and retirees. CWA-COPE informs and mobilizes union families to encourage their participation in the political process. Through their political action committee, CWA men and women express their voice in politics and policy issues that affect their lives.
Funded by the voluntary contributions of CWA members, their family members and retirees, CWA-COPE provides financial contributions to worker-friendly candidates. CWA can only use voluntary dollars to contribute to an endorsed candidate for federal office. No union dues money of any kind can be given to a political candidate for federal office or national political party.
CWA-COPE also provides information to union families about the candidates and their positions on the issues affecting their lives. Decent health care, overtime pay, safe working conditions, family-friendly workplaces, retirement security, freedom to organize are among the concerns influenced by the political process. CWA-COPE endorses candidates regardless of political party who supports working families.
Working families can never match the contributions of Corporate America or the wealthy. Together we can combine our financial and voluntary resources to make a real difference in hundreds of key elections at the federal, state and local level. CWA-COPE offers workers the power to gain the attention of lawmakers to their agenda.
In a representative democracy, many voices speaking together are louder than a single voice talking alone. Just as union representation gives workers a voice on the job to improve their lives, CWA-COPE is the workers voice in politics to improve their communities and nation. CWA-COPE makes politics work for working families.
To contribute your share to COPE, we ask each member to donate $1.00 per week or $2.00 per pay period. See any officer or Executive Board member or steward to make your contribution. There is a simple form to fill out which will allow your donation through payroll deductions.
Next Membership Meeting April 17th 6:00 pm
243 Active members, 6 pending, 5 on leave, 7 non members
Local 7804 will hold our next membership meeting at 6:00 pm Tuesday April 17th due to the District 7 Conference held the following week. This is your chance to participate in the decision making and listen to recommendations made by the officers and executive board, on the business of the local.
Making things better for ourselves at the workplace is what we all strive for. This cannot be achieved by a handful of people. This is achieved by sticking together as a unit, demonstrating solidarity within your crews in front of management every day. Supervisors are not our friends. Given the choice of keeping their job or enforcing discipline, they will discipline every time.
Continue to log all your daily activities at work. Do not leave your notes at the workplace. Should you be brought in and questioned about what you did on a certain day, job, customer location, etc. request Union representation. This is your right! Management must cooperate or postpone the meeting. R.G,
Avaya: Integrity
February 7, 2007
To: All Avaya Locals
Recently at the C&T Conference in the Avaya Bargaining Unit meeting it was brought to CWA’s attention that employees are being instructed to falsify Company records. As an example if a technician has not been dispatched within the appropriate window employees are told to recode the ticket. Great concern was expressed by all over this issue. CWA believes our members should never be put in a position of having to falsify records and we know that if it ever came down to discipline our members would pay the price and management would have short term memory loss in having directed them to take such action. If you are in doubt, raise the issue before you act.
Message from Ralph Maly VP, CWA, C&T.
More on the Broadband Tech Title
When the title was negotiated in 2005, our bargaining agent had hoped to form a joint committee to discuss how the title would be implemented and staffed. Qwest declined that offer and formed their own internal group with reps from each of the VP organizations. Each of the areas management reps contacted the Local Union to outline their proposed plans on how the employees would be canvassed and the selection criteria they intended to use. The locals predictably reacted to the processes outlined by their management counterparts. This feedback has been taken back to the employer and the staffing process has been stopped until such time as the concerns and issues raised by the Locals has been addressed.
The company agreed that they would finish their initial canvass and then put the process on hold until we had those discussions. At this point that delay is until the first part of May.
Q. Why CDT’s would be canvassed for this new title?
A. The employer maintains that some of the CDT’s have expressed an interest in moving to the title. Contractually there is no prohibition from any employee seeking a voluntary downgrade.
Q. What is the number of BT they need?
A. They keep saying they’re not sure as yet.
Q. Why in case of a surplus it doesn’t go both ways for CDT, Net Tech, and Broadband Tech?
A. Because they would prefer not to. However, in looking at the list of planned locations, one cannot help but note a distinct difference between Nebraska and Washington State for example. This list also heightens the Union’s concerns regarding Managements repeated statements of using this to protect younger workers while more senior employees are surpluses.
Q. Why does the company need the Broadband title?
A. The rationale given during bargaining was a core group to support VDSL.
Q. Will DSL trained Net Techs who choose not to go to the new title, still be doing DSL work at the discretion of the Company?
A. Again, there is no formal response from the company as of yet. Under 7.3 they could do so. Of course the Union is citing this as part of its argument under 19.5 Adjustment Group that the title of Net Tech and Broadband Tech should be tied together under Article 19.
Q. Why are there no retreat rights for the Techs that go to the Broadband title?
A. The company’s proposal would take away retreat rights, but allow the employee to carry over their time-in title. A proposal to waive time-in-title like this would require an agreement from us to do so and there is currently no such agreement.
Q. Net techs who volunteer who have not been trained yet, will they be picked then trained during the volunteer phase of this roll out?
A. That isn’t final in our minds yet. Q. After a tech volunteers for the title, at what point can they change their mind?
A. Up to the point of the actual change in title.
Q. Who picks the techs to become Broadband Techs? A. Under the employer’s proposal, the unbiased supervisory structure.
Q. When there is more DSL work than Broadband Techs can handle, are the Net Techs going to be used to assist with this load?
A. Valid question, one of several they haven’t responded to as yet. This issue is not done, and we will watch it closely.
DSL Techs and the Daily Differential
I have had discussions with several of you around taking the differential. This has been established since Oct. 2001 when Qwest declared a division point between wage scale 2 and wage scale 1. Reconfiguration of the Customer’s computer would qualify for daily differential under Section 7.3. If the technician cannot perform this task the job would be routed to a tech with those skill sets. Qwest put out a second letter Nov. of 2003 regarding MSN/DSL Provisioning and Repair Work. Qwest then took the lead role in provisioning and repair issues regarding MSN Premium, e-mail servers, services, and the ability to correct issues that occur with the installation process. Reconfiguration of the customer’s computer, not related to MSN or DSL setup or repair, would continue to qualify for daily differential under Section 7.3. I want DSL techs to put in for what is contractually specified. For example, if you are configuring a USB connection for a Windows ’98 Second Edition, and have to install from the Windows disc or cabinet files, you should put in for the differential. If you are making changes to the “C” drive, take the differential. If it is denied we have a grievance. There is a Regional Grievance in progress, if we don’t participate in this issue we will lose out. Please let me know so we can get it done right! I have the documents to support our issue. Management needs to hear our issue. The payroll code for the daily differential is DTA 400 per article 7.3. Any help with this issue please see me, thanks. Randy Grams..
Service Anniversaries and Retirements
Service Anniversaries:
Janurary:Sheila Chaput, 40 yrs., Dave Walton 40 yrs., Rick Beaver 20 yrs., Doug Day 5 yrs.
February:Glenda Griggs 35 yrs., Terry Knobloch 30 yrs., Brady Enlow 5 yrs.
March:Dan Wilson 30 yrs.
Congratulations to all and best of luck!
CWA is active in legislative issues for you our members! Washington state has a strong State Council!
CWA State Council Lobbyists posing with 2008 Presidential Candidate, Barak Obama during a Democratic fundraiser prior to the November elections. From Left to Right, Gail Love, retired Local 7810 Olympia, Beverly Bullock, Association of Flight Attendants, Presidential candidate Barak Obama, Marcus Courtney Local 37083 Washtec, and our own Secretary Treasurer Jake Williams Local 7804, Tacoma.