The Union for the Information Age

The Union for the Information Age

July 2007 President's Report to the
Executive Board and Membership
Submitted by Malachy Sreenan

The Communications Workers of America met with MV Transportation on June 12^th and 13^th, 2007. The Union presented a number of proposals to the company, and engaged in considerable discussion on a number of issues that had been previously identified by members of the bargaining unit. Proposals included a substantial wage increase to bring pay rates in line with other shuttle drivers in the Seattle area, healthcare benefits extended to part-time employees, increasing the percentage of full-time employees, and availability of a 401(k) program to all employees. While he have tentative agreements on some of the minor issues, it is clearly evident that we are still very far from reaching an equitable agreement on most of the more important economic issues such as wages and healthcare. Due to scheduling conflicts and the need to do further research on a number of issues, the Union and the Company agreed to extend the contract beyond the current expiration date of 7/2/05. The current contract shall continue in full force and effect, on a day to day basis, until a new agreement is reached or until either party, with 48 hours written notice, cancels the extension.

The CWA National Convention will be held in Toronto on July 16^th and 17^th, 2007. The Convention is held annually, and is where elected delegates take care of the business of the Union. There will also be a District 7 meeting, at which delegates will elect the Bargaining Committee that will begin negotiations next summer with Qwest. The current Qwest contract will expire on August 16^th, 2008. One of the main priorities at this year’s Convention will be the proposal to increase CWA Executive Board Diversity. The proposal, which will be voted on by delegates, calls for the addition of four at-large diversity board members; at least three of which should be persons of color, and at least two should be women. The four at-large diversity board seats will represent four geographic regions within CWA. While these mew board members will not be full time, they will have the same policy making responsibilities and voting authority as other board members. A full report on Convention activities will be provided in August.

On the heels of all of the dissatisfaction over performance measurements at Qwest, such as QJD, CQUE, and CTEP, the company this month began using a new technology that marries the information from GPS to the information from WAFA. We had a number of technicians called in to investigatory meetings and grilled about their activities over the past month. These meetings can be stressful and intimidating, making it even more difficult to remember work activities from yesterday, let alone a month ago. It is more important than ever that all technicians keep a daily log of their work activities.

Charles Thomas, CWA Local 7800 Organizing Committee Chair organized training on Friday June 15^th, 2007. With the help of Verlene Jones, from the Martin Luther King County Labor Council, Charles provided training, which covered organizing basics and effective communication, for the committee. Charles also attended the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute in Chicago June 22^nd through 24^th,which is designed to help union leaders with a desire be involved in, and spearhead, organizing campaigns in their locals. Armed with this training, and an energized committee, CWA Local 7800 will be working on a number of campaigns over the next several months, aimed at increasing our membership. Anyone interested in joining the organizing team, or any of our committees, should contact the Local at (206) 441-7800 Ext. 104, or send an email to malachys@cwa7800.org.

The Employee Free Choice Act, which would restore workers' badly eroded rights to organize unions and bargain collectively, was passed by a wide margin in the U.S. House in March. On June 26, however, Republicans blocked a U.S. Senate vote on the House-approved EFCA. It is extremely important that we help others, who want to be represented by unions, have the ability to do so without fear of losing their jobs or intimidation by management. As the number of unionized employees in the United States continues to plummet, it becomes harder and harder for union members to preserve the benefits that they have fought for over the years. Unless we do something, Qwest, and the rest of our organized companies, will come to the bargaining table next year and tell us they cannot continue paying the wages and providing the benefits they do when they are competing against non-Union companies. Please become involved in this effort. The fight is just beginning, and, with your help the massive and ongoing campaign by labor will ensure that the bill is a top priority for the next Congress in January 2009

The CWA Executive Board approved a plan to mobilize our union to achieve health care for all by the year 2012. The plan includes all sectors of the union and all districts. It aims to educate and mobilize members and build a stewards army as the center of our campaign. Legislative reform, rather than cost cutting, should make sense for our employers and engaging them in this effort is a critical element. The time is right for major mobilization on health care, and CWA must help lead this effort. Two key goals of the campaign will be to reduce the cost associated with providing retiree benefits and positively impacting our ability to negotiate meaningful health care benefits for our active members. This effort will involve recruiting employers and lobbying politicians to support our health care agenda. To achieve this goal, our members must be educated and mobilized. This will require a multi-year campaign. This SIF proposal establishes an 18-month plan designed to take us through the 2008 elections. The first formal evaluation will be conducted at the end of 2007. We can win health care for all, but all of us must be engaged in the fight.

For retirees and future retirees, CWA and the IBEW, in a coordinated campaign with Alcatel Lucent, won a key tax code change that will help preserve retiree health care at that company and others. An amendment to the supplemental war funding bill, adopted by Congress and signed into law, permits companies like Alcatel Lucent to transfer more than one year's worth of retiree health costs from excess pension assets. Federal tax law had allowed employers to transfer only the equivalent of one year's costs for health benefits for retirees and their dependents, if pension assets were over-funded by more than 120 percent. The change allowing additional retiree health care funding, if pension assets are sufficiently over-funded, will enable CWA and Alcatel Lucent to build up a VEBA trust fund (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association) with CWA's goal to see that fund grow to cover future retiree health costs and limit the company from trying to shift more health care costs to retirees. This will help preserve retiree health care going forward.

Tens of thousands of people across the Seattle area, including Qwest employees and CWA Local 7800 members marched in the 14^th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for breast cancer on Saturday June 16^th, 2007.CWA Local 7800 also participated, once again, this year in the annual Seattle Gay Pride Parade, which was held on Sunday June 24^th, 2007.