KNOW what YOU are entitled to!
IF YOU ARE CALLED INTO A MEETING BY ANY COMPANY MANAGER OR CORPORATE SECURITY, BE SURE TO ASK...... If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my Union Representative, Officer, or Steward be present at the meeting. Without representation, I choose not to answer any questions.
Click HERE to print out a form to have your supervisor sign if they tell you that a meeting will NOT lead to discipline.
C.O.P.E.
OUR GOAL IS 100% PARTICIPATION IN C.O.P.E. Now more than ever it is imperative that we have our friends in elected offices. We need all the help we can get to fight back corporate greed and maintain our job security through our negotiations for a new contract. Please CLICK HERE to print out and sign up for C.O.P.E. Please mail the completed form to I.B.E.W. 2322, 106 West Grove St. Middleboro, Ma 02346. $1.00 a week is a small price to pay.
Bargaining is scheduled to resume this week in Rye New York. Discussions continue to center around health care, pensions, job security and call sharing, but it is important to remember that every issue is still on the table.
Every member must show every manager every day that we will not allow Verizon to destroy our benefits and destroy the middle class jobs that IBEW and CWA have fought so hard to create over the last 50 years of collective bargaining. We need every member to take part in mobilization activities beginning with working, thinking and acting like union members, especially on the job. Always remember that safety and quality are our only priorities.
The movement resulting from the surplus canvas that took place on.................
As you all know, Local 2322 is in the middle of electing new officers for the Local. Our by-laws call for a mail ballot as opposed to a meeting hall ballot. This affords everyone an opportunity to vote, without having to travel anywhere on a certain date and time.
By now you should have received your ballot which was mailed to your home address, with an enclosed self addressed stamped envelope and a complete set of instructions on the voting process. It will only take a few minutes of your time, so we encourage all of our members to vote. It’s your right, and I hope you all exercise it.
If you hve not receive a ballot, please call the Union Office who will put you in touch with the Election Judge Dave Roman.
The Union has been notified by Verizon that they will be conducting a Dependent Verification Process. DO NOT IGNORE THE MAILING
The Company will be sending a Dependent Verification Communication package to all active members as well as retirees who have a dependent on record for Heath Care Coverage. It is extremely important that everyone take the time to review the entire package. The material is time sensitive and if ignored your dependents coverage will be terminated. Action is required by everyone. The Time Line for the Dependent Verification process is: 4/17/2012 - Packages Mailed to Home Address on file
5/15/2012 - Reminder Mailed
06/15/2012- Communications End Date
6/20/2012 – 6/25/2012 – Coverage Termination Notices Sent
7/13/2012 - Grace Period Ends
7/31/2012 - Termination of Benefits for Unverified Dependents
The first action that must be taken is for everyone to review the list of dependents that they have enrolled as of March 6, 2012. You should note that dependents that are certified as disabled or are covered under a QMCSO(Qualified Medical Child Support Orders) are not subject to this verification process. Dependents that fall into these categories are pre-populated with a verified date and no further action is required. Click here for information on QMCSO http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/qmcso.html
If you have an ineligible dependent on your list, you must remove that dependent from coverage by accessing the website at www.verizon.com/benefits or by calling the Dependent Verification Center at 877-489-2367. You should follow the instructions that are provided in the package. The company has agreed that they will not be looking back on any of the changes that are made during the first phase of the verification process. The time to drop a dependent that does not meet the qualifications for coverage is as soon as you receive the Dependent Verification Communications.
Everyone must follow the instructions to verify their dependents. Everyone MUST verify their dependents. There are documents that are needed for every dependent on the list that you have enrolled as your dependents. Please follow the instructions that are outlined in the “Eligibility Rules and Documentations Required” section in the package. If you are having trouble obtaining any document; i.e. birth certificate, marriage license or whatever document you need to verify eligibility, you should call the “Dependent Verification” representative at 1-877-489-2367 to inform them. Everyone must receive a confirmation notice when the process is completed. We will be working with the company during this process to ensure that everyone is given enough time if they encounter a problem. We need to know about the specifics of those problems in the early stages of the process to avoid any coverage being terminated incorrectly.
Again, please do not ignore this mailing. Review the material and take the appropriate action to ensure your Dependent Coverage. If you are unable to resolve problems with your Dependent Coverage or have any questions please call the Union Hall at 508-947-2131.
Volunteering a couple hours of your time each week is a small investment to make to help ensure that we get the fair contract that we deserve. We hope to see you there.
Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission to purchase additional spectrum from four cable providers. They are seeking to market a "quadruple play" -- locking in more customers at even higher prices.
The deal, struck behind the closed doors of America's corporate boardrooms, poses a threat to consumers and workers. If it goes through, it will be the death knell for competition between cable and telecom companies. Verizon Wireless, Time Warner, Comcast, and other cable companies will become a giant, unregulated quasi-monopoly. Verizon will have no incentive to challenge cable by building FiOS into new areas — meaning less competition, consumer choice, and higher prices for consumers.
Less FiOS also means fewer jobs building, maintaining, servicing, and installing the network. This deal will create a corporate behemoth that will use exclusive quad-play market power to shrink its future workforce.
Worst of all, Verizon Wireless and the cable companies are refusing to come clean about the details of the deal. Even as the FCC and Department of Justice review it, we still don't know what it means for consumers or workers.
Volunteering a couple hours of your time each week is a small investment to make to help ensure that we get the fair contract that we deserve. We hope to see you there.
DO YOU THINK
VERIZON’S GOING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION?
Voting your proxy gives you the chance to let Verizon’s
Board of Directors know if you think the company’s headed
in the right direction.
To have the union deliver your proxy to Verizon
1. Vote your proxy by placing an “X” in the For, Against, or Abstain box
for each proposal.
2. Sign and date the card where indicated.
3. Bring back the proxy card and the return envelope to your local by
April 25th. CWA members will deliver your proxy to Verizon’s annual
meeting in Huntsville, Alabama on May 3rd, 2012.
On March 22, IBEW & CWA members across the country turned out for the National Day of Solidarity for Verizon Workers, joined by union, progressive and community allies at hundreds of rallies and events. Check out this footage from New York City.
