.
August 10, 2008
Please post & share
Tentative Agreement Reached at Verizon-East!
We Did It!
The bargaining committees reached an agreement in principle with Verizon. The unprecented level of education, engagement, and mobilization of the united CWA and IBEW members brought us this contract in a very tough economic and political environment.
We made progress on all of our key objectives:
Break down the wall between the core and Verizon Business
* Union recognition for 600 Field Techs and inside techs
* Guarantee small and medium business exclusively for represented commercial
* Bring new VZ B work to CWA-represented locations 100 at end of 2009 and 100 at end of 2010
Fair wage increase that protects our standard of living in a time of escalating food and fuel costs
* 10.87% compounded increase
* COLA increase
100% company-paid health care premiums
* 100% company-paid premiums continue for actives and current retirees
* Future hires will have a defined contribution formula for retirement health care
Increase pension bands
* 10.87% compounded increase
Creating more permanent, quality union jobs
* 2,500 new union jobs (including VZB techs)
* Approx. 75 video headend techs
* Approx. 1,200 temps and terms converted to permament employees
Settle VZ Wireless, VCS, GNI contracts
* Fair settlements achieved at all tables
More detailed information on the settlement and the ratification vote will be provided by your local.
"This is a breakthrough agreement in many ways. It creates new union jobs including major growth areas like FiOS, it takes a big step forward on health care and it brings hundreds of Verizon Business employees the union rights they deserve."
- CWA President Larry Cohen
"This agreement is a tribute to the solidarity and activism of IBEW and CWA members working at Verizon. Our members mobilized strong and negotiated hard for a good contract that will benefit workers and their families now and in the future."
- IBEW President Ed Hill
Welcome to our new union brothers and sisters at Verizon Business!
A message to members from the Combined Bargaining Committee on behalf of the Regional Bargaining Committees for District 1 (Verizon North), 2 and 13 (Verizon mid-Atlantic) and the IBEW
After many months of bargaining with Verizon Communications, our united bargaining committees have reached an agreement in principle with management pending document review.
Throughout this process, we focused on ensuring our place in the work of the future.
Our critical goals also included health care for active and retired workers, retirement security and a fair wage increase.
The involvement and mobilization of tens of thousands of our members made a huge difference in these negotiations. All of us together showed our strength, our commitment, our determination to get the best possible agreement.
We�re proud to have represented the 65,000 union members at Verizon in these negotiations.
Chris Shelton, District 1; Ron Collins, District 2; Ed Mooney, District 13; George Welker, District 1; Steve Holland, District 2; Sandy Kmetyck, District 13; John Miller, IBEW Local 827 and Myles Calvey, IBEW Local 2222.
Following is a summary of the tentative agreement.
1. Wages
a. Effective 8/3/2008 3.25 %
b. Effective 8/2/2009 3.5 %
c. Effective 8/1/2010 3.75 %
2. COLA
a. Effective 8/1/2010
b. One half of the increase in the CPI-W in excess of 3.75% between May �09 and May �10
3. Corporate Profit Sharing
a. $700 minimum distribution
b. Paid in March of 2009, 2010, 2011
4. Pension Band Increases
a. Effective 10/1/2008 3.25%
b. Effective 10/1/2009 3.5 %
c. Effective 10/1/2010 3.75%
5. Pension Lump Sum Cash-Out
a. Pension Distribution Options remains in contract with no change in the language by which the amount is calculated
b. Available at any time, for the length of the contract
6. VZ Business
a. 445 Field Techs in plant contract with carveouts
b. 145 Inside Techs in plant contract with carve outs
c. Guarantee small and medium business exclusively for represented commercial
d. Bring new VZ-B work to CWA represented locations 100 at end of 2009 and 100 at end of 2010
7. Video Head End � Video Work. Approx. 75 in plant contracts with carve outs
8. Temps and terms to Perms (Approx 1,200)
9. Three times a year discussion on union jobs and efficiency/growth with top management
10. Active Health Care: Maintained full employer paid coverage with limited plan design changes
11. Retiree Health Benefits
a. Fully paid, no retiree pays during life of agreement
b. Any changes in future health benefit plans for retirees will be negotiated with the Union in the same manner as that for actives and for future retirees.
c. No current retiree will pay for health coverage through the end of 2011.
d. No active employee who retires during the term of this agreement will pay or health coverage through the end of 2011.
e. Caps on the Company�s contribution to the cost of retiree health coverage in 2012 and after have been raised as follows:
i. Prior to Age 65 and Medicare Eligibility
1. Retiree Only: $12,580
2. Retiree + 1 25,160
3. Retiree + Family 31,450
ii. Age 65 and after and Medicate Eligible
1. Retiree Only: $ 6,330
2. Retiree + 1 12,660
3. Retiree + Family 18,990
f. Employees hired after August 2, 2008 will be covered under a new retiree health program.
i. Once they retire (under the same eligibility requirements as currently required), they will receive an annual payment equal to $430 times years of service (to a maximum of 30 years).
ii. The parties will negotiate this amount in future years to reflect changes in the cost of health coverage.
12. Agreement to work for National Health Care Reform and provide $2 million a year during term of contract.
13. New Dispute Resolution for Faster resolution of grievances
14. Savings and Security Plan
a. Add a Roth option to the 401(k) plan
b. Allows investment of post tax dollars with no taxes applied to investment returns when assets are later distributed.
15. Retiree Life Insurance
a. Company-paid retiree life insurance benefits will be frozen at one-times the wage level attained on 8/2/2008.
b. The minimum amount to be paid to beneficiaries of retirees who retiree after 8/2/2008 will be $20,000, even after age 65.
16. Retirees who were hired after 8/2/2008 will be eligible for the minimum $20,000
17. Increase supplemental insurance with ability to purchase 5 times salary
18. Commercial Issues
a. Collection
b. Jt Marketing Letter
c. Local Presence Centers
d. NJ collection office issues
19. Extend all existing District and Local Agreements and adjust all dates.
20. CWA-NETT will discuss how to publicize
21. Unique Regional Items
a. Scope agreement CWA D2
b. Contract Initiative Letter fixed
c. Job Share Language (North)
d. ACFC will outstanding pay current bills $486K
e. Increase ACFC wage rate top wage rate in contract
f. Supplemental Retiree Life Insurance: five times implemented as soon as possible
Check us out online at www.cwa-union.org/verizon
.
|