Dear Member,
Well, the days are getting longer, and spring is just around the corner. That’s the good news for the month. The bad news is that second surplus announcement is impacting a large number of our members. The cause of this second layoff is the terrible financial condition that the company has been lead into by senior management. They have attempted to explain away these financial circumstances in many different ways, but the truth is that poor senior leadership is the root cause of all of our financial woes. My personal view is that greed got in the way of running the company.
Having said this I also want to assure you that if another surplus is announced it will not come from a big-mouthed first-level manager in Tacoma. It seems that we have one who has decided that he knows more than his superiors do, and has already told his employees that the next announcement is fact. Let me make this very clear: first level mangers do not decide when or if we will have another surplus announcement; in fact, they are usually the last to know what their bosses are planning. It is regrettable that this individual is running his mouth and causing untold amount of worry for others who would be impacted by another wave of surplus. My advice to him is to pay attention to your job and leave the announcements to those who really are in the know. I would encourage all of our members to do the same. Rumors and speculation might be fun for you, but the angst that is caused for others is cruel and unnecessary.
Recently, we lost our long-time member, Ray Crowell, to cancer. I attended Ray’s funeral and was touched by the words spoken on his behalf. The speakers all touched on his love of the business and his feeling for the people he worked with; for Ray we were family, and he valued all of his family. The next day I attended the funeral of long-time C.W.A. local president, Bob Iverson. Bob had been active in the Bremerton local for years and was respected by all who ever had contact with him. The same theme of family and involvement in the business was felt by all in attendance. It is a shame that we have lost that feeling of community in this corporation. It only shows up when we think of the days gone by.
I do not have all of the answers for all of your questions, but I can and will go to great lengths to tell you what is truth and what is fiction. Common sense, the printed contract, and your benefits book are your best source of information. If you take the time to use them you will find most of the answers to the rumors that are circulating the company at this time. I am confident that this company will survive in one form or another. It is not likely that fourteen states are going to be allowed to go without telephone service in this day and time. The only statement that senior management has made in the past few month that I completely agree with is that the old USWest part of Qwest Corp.is producing 80% of our revenue and 90% of our profits. That tells me that the core of the company is still functioning, and we all know who gets the credit for that. If you can’t guess, let me assure you that it is not our senior leadership.
In Unionism,
Clay Bowlby
The Contract covering 25,000 CWA members at AT&T expires May 11. This round of bargaining comes at a time when consumer services and business services may be the remaining core of AT&T, as AT&T Wireless was spun off as a separate company in July and Comcast Communications has made a bid for AT&T’s broadband operations.
Secure jobs and access for members to the jobs in the growth areas of the company are among CWA’s top goals for 2002 bargaining along with protecting members from layoffs, continued outsourcing and other cutbacks as AT&T attempts to “take the cost out of doing business,” the bargaining council said.
CWA also will press for organizing rights for the work in the growth areas of the company, to enable workers to have a fair choice about union representation and to signal the management accepts and respects CWA as a full partner that brings value to the company.
(Excerpts from CWA News, February 2002)
During Open enrollment last November, Qwest employees were mailed information of what was new for 2002. Included in this mailing was information about a new vision plan administrator. Many of us, myself included, made no changes to our health care plans, therefore did nothing thinking all would be as before. So some of us failed to read the information about the new provider:
Effective January1, Cole Managed Vision has taken over as the new plan administrator. Most things remain the same, however there are new vendors that participate in our plan. You may continue to see your provider or go to new providers such as Target Optical, Sears Optical, Pearle Vision or JC Penney Optical as well.
A link for the website of Cole Managed Vision as well as a form which may be downloaded is available at our website, www.cwalocal7804.org. You may also ask an officer about the change if you need more information.
Have you been thinking about the following questions?
Let us help you evaluate the choices that will affect your life, and the lives of those you care about, for a very long time.
Call 1 888-874-4971 for your FREE RETIREMENT REVIEW with D. Scott Fife, CEP
Securities offered through Securities America, Inc. member NASD/SIPC (12/01)
To learn more about Securities America, Inc., the securities company mentioned above, go on-line at www.saionline.com
An opportunity has become available for our CWA members, whom presently or will at some future time need the services of a chiropractor, to be able to use an Association Doctor of Chiropractics. The Chiropractic Federation of Washington is a group of Chiropractors, many with other Union membership and organizing roots, who have joined together to form a Union-oriented medical federation. One federation member is Doctor Thomas J. Campbell, who is presently the 2nd District Republican representative with a 100% pro-labor voting record. Another is Doctor Tom Williamson of the Campbell Chiropractic Clinic in Spanaway. He worked as a Union carpenter for twenty years, and was a founding member of Local 10 Office and Professional Employees International Union.
As one can see, this Federation has a strong Union background, and deserves as much support as our CWA membership can muster to encourage their success.
The CFW accepts United Health as well as most other HMO medical plans. Federation Doctor member names are available by calling Local 7804 on 253-572-7804 or by calling Dennis Garrett, V.P./Safety Officers on 253-640-1253.
It is in a Unionist’s best interest to support brother and sister organizations that serve their best interests, so contact the Local for the doctor nearest you.
These Federation members believe in and support any and all ergonomic training and treatment, and are very familiar with the muscular and skeletal problems that so many in our occupation suffer from. That, in itself, should encourage our support.
Dennis Garrett. VP
Union leaders are launching a comprehensive campaign to improve workers’ retirement security and reform corporate governance in the wake of the Enron scandal.
“The sudden and spectacular collapse of Enron…has exposed the culture of greed that permeates most major corporations,” says a statement issued by the AFL-CIO Executive Council during its Feb. 27 meeting in New Orleans. “The public policy agenda promoted by Enron and like companies is bad for all Americans.” The council approved a statement that calls on Congress, the president and federal regulators to give workers a real voice in running their 401(k) plans and a real choice in managing their investments. Thousands of Enron workers lost millions of dollars in retirement savings because of the company 401(k) rules that encouraged them to over invest in Enron stock. When the stock lost almost all its value in a scandal-ridden bankruptcy, the workers lost their savings. The statement also calls for reform of corporate governance so boards of directors, auditors and Wall Street investment analysts truly are independent and accountable. It urges Congress to reform bankruptcy laws so workers’ claims for severance pay and pension funds stand at least on equal footing with other creditors’ claims.
Other aspects of the campaign include educating union members about retirement security and corporate governance issues, continuing efforts to strengthen Social Security and holding elected officials accountable for their actions on these issues.
Workers increasingly realize a secure retirement may not be in their future as more employers shift from providing pension plans with defined benefits, in which employees are guaranteed a specific sum each year following retirement, to 401(k) accounts, whose returns depend upon the stock market. Contrary to sound financial planning, employers and even workers often load 401(k)s with company stock, says Economic Policy Institute economist Christian Weller. The risk of this practice has been demonstrated by the plight of workers for Enron Corp., a bankrupt energy trading company whose executives were prominent contributors to the George W. bush presidential campaign. With Enron’s stock price plunging from more than $80 to less than $1 a share, many workers lost their life saving and now have only Social Security.
“Workers face this danger when their retirement depends on the stock market,” says Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future. “That’s why Social Security is critical—for many Americans, it’s the only defined-benefit plan they can depend on. Enron has proven we cannot risk privatizing it.
From America@Work magazine February 2002
“Many of the goods and services we buy come with a hidden cost: abuse of the workers behind them. Even shoppers who want to avoid buying sweatshop-made products and supporting union-busting employers can have a tough time finding good alternatives. Here are two great resources for worker-friendly shopping:
Check out Union Label's list of worker-friendly products and services—as well as the list of companies that don't deserve your patronage because they're harming workers.”
(Visit www.aflcio.org for full information.)
Anniversaries: John Best, 35; William Elzner, 36; Gary Meier, 34; Richard Godwin, 34; Lee Smith, 34; Elaine Allison, 33; Mark Rickey, 33; James Belcher, 32; Melvin Mukai, 31; Jan Meeks, 30; Denice Jacobson, 30; Victor Cissell, 28; Judy Eagle, 26; Linda Moreno, 26; William Waters, 25; Julie Hoff, 25; Walter Hyatt, 25; Kelly Kemp, 25; Frank Swilley, 24; Robert Pine, 23; Daniel Sievers, 23; Wendi Patterson, 23; Alan Ribeira, 23; David Mills, 23; Mike Nord, 23; Delila Tomlinson, 23; Thomas Alsup, 22; James Griess, 22; Richard Hazen, 22; Yvonne Wiggins, 22; Leonard Serdahl, 19; Jacob Williams, 11; Young Kim, 10; Richard Young, 6; Anthony Allen, 6; Paul Brown, 6; Linda Noble, 6; William Spina, 6; Ronald Walsh, 6; Tracy “Mac” McDonald, 6; Carey Grant, 6;
Retired: November: Robert Loefler.December: Tom Clark; January: Marcia Berger, 36; Tom Johnson, 36. March Robert Schmidt, 45; Lee Queen, 35; Edward Borhek, 34; Katherine Hoyt; gerold Johnson, 35; James Kemp, 36; Frank Parks, 35; Karla Rothermel, 31; Harold Lumley, 30; Steven Lee, 25; Gary Merrill, 36; Ace Tague, 33; Lury Williams, 34; Robert Wiltshire, 36; Ronald Ziemer, 35.
Back to the newsletter archives.