This article is a two parter. The first part is directed at our local’s retirees. I have tried to send out letters to many retirees with a very limited success ratio. These letters, and now this article, is asking for a commitment from my fellow 7804 retirees to be available for picket duty or in other areas that your local may need help with during the potential work stoppage in August of this year as well as involvement in contacting Washington’s legislators to get on board with the protecting of retiree rights.
The one issue that is near and dear to us all is retiree/active employee medical coverage. A recent court ruling and EEOC ruling has opened the door for any company to radically slash retiree coverage without violating EEOC age discrimination policies. This could create a three tiered medical coverage plan which could look like:
A bargained in less corporate impactive active employee medical plan.
An under 65 non-Medicare covered medical plan that doesn’t have to mirror the active employee coverage.
Of course all the above will be bargained for and may walk for it but with the court decisions in affect the only sure recourse is Supreme Court and/or legislative pressure to strike down the above rulings.
There is a national US West retiree committee made up of both retired management and craft people which is fighting this issue through both legal and legislative means but more pressure is needed, especially leading up to and during bargaining.
If you as a retiree are not concerned so be it, but if you want to fight for what you earned and were promised when you left the big bell system contact me via the local’s fax, email, phone recorder, or by pony express and leave your current email address, phone number, and mailing address as well as your willingness to be involved.
Remember how Qwest raped our 401k accounts; let’s not let it do the same to our medical coverage.
The second part is about safety.
A reminder, in any situation you as the worker decides what, with your experience and training, is safe or unsafe. You are the one who will be hurt or worse, not LRAC or your supervisor.
In any unsafe/unhealthy situation call your supervisor and, if required, the LRAC and ask for a management person day or night. Don’t leave until excused to another work location. If you are dispatched away let the powers that be know that the location is unsafe and no techs should be re-dispatched. Above all, everyone must keep a daily personal log of your activities as well as statements made by your supervisor or other Qwest representatives. This log will be extremely important in any potential grievance proceedings.
There are minutes sent to every supervisor of every monthly state MOSHC and Tacoma MOSHC safety meeting. These cover most safety concerns reported by employees as well as safety issues being dealt with by these mutual CWA/Qwest committees.
Ask that your safety rep or supervisor read these minutes at each month’s crew safety meeting. If there is a refusal contact me on 640-1253 or another union member and they will pass it to me.
Remember, you are your best safety guardian. Follow all safety policies, be where you are supposed to be, doing what you should be doing.
BE SAFE.
KEEP A LOG.
Dennis Garrett
Local 7804 Vice President and Safety Officer
Regional MOSHC Representative.
253 572-7804
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