CWA Local 13500
CWA Local 13500
BARGAINING REPORT
CWA LOCAL 13500
AND
VERIZON TELEPRODUCTS, CORP.
Report
#11
July 1, 2004
Final Report
After a long day of bargaining that spilled into late night yesterday, the Company made a last and final offer for settlement of the contract. While disappointed with the Company offer, the Union agreed to put it out for consideration by the membership.
The Union was successful in keeping the contract length to 3 years, in spite of the Company’s continued efforts to force a 5-year deal on us. The highlights of the contract include the following:
- Wage increase: 2% in January 2005, 2.5% in January 2006 and 2.5% in January 2007.
- The new expiration date will be July 15, 2007.
- One new floating holiday will begin January 2005
- One new personal day will begin January 2005 for those employees who reach or have over 5-years service in 2005.
- Loosening of the vacation schedule in the call centers.
- Discontinuing the practice of taking personal days for weather related absence time.
- Providing that temporary agency employees will be let go before any regular employee is laid off in the same job title.
The Company was unable to combine the Account Rep title with the Customer Service title and to change two fixed holidays to floating holidays as they had wanted. However, they did insist and the agreement includes a restriction on the number of personal days that can be taken in any quarter. No more than 2 personal days per quarter unless the employee is on a FMLA-certified absence or can provide a note for his or her attending physician.
The Union will mail the contract modifications and “Highlights” of these changes to everyone’s home address by the beginning of next week. A meeting to discuss these changes is scheduled for Wednesday July 7th at the Holiday Inn on Rt. 202. The ratification vote will take place at the work site and the date of that vote will be announced next Wednesday.
Thanks you for all of your support and efforts during this tough bargaining process.
BARGAINING REPORT
CWA LOCAL 13500
AND
VERIZON TELEPRODUCTS, CORP.
Report #10
June 29, 2004
Evening Session
After a brief recess, the Union presented the Company with a counter offer to the Company’s settlement package. The Union proposed a 3% wage increase on July 1, 2004, 2% in July 2005 and 2006. If the Company continues to insist on a 5-year contract, we proposed a formula that paid the amount of the year over year consumer price index increase plus 1% in each year 2007 and 2008.
We proposed a vacation schedule of 10% of the work group permitted off with agreed upon minimums per group. We proposed a cap be placed on the number of agency temps permitted to perform bargaining unit work.
We agreed to accept the Company’s proposal to exchange two fixed holidays with two floating holidays provided they also include one additional floating holiday and one personal day.
We proposed to add topics to the mutual interest committee, such as revised schedules, off-line time and stress on the job. We reiterated our demand for MLK day as a paid holiday, holiday pay for part-timers, better scheduling of time off for snow days.
We kept our proposal for night shift differential. We rejected the Company’s attempt to combine the Account Rep title with the Customer Service Rep title.
The Company asked several questions and then the meeting adjourned for the day.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday June 30th. This is the expiration date of the contract.
BARGAINING REPORT
CWA LOCAL 13500
AND
VERIZON TELEPRODUCTS, CORP.
Report #9
June 29, 2004
As bargaining approaches its deadline the Union dropped items from its agenda in an effort to reach an agreement. Among the items dropped was the 37.5 hour work week, differential for work after 7 pm, part-time employees receiving benefits, vacations and personal days, but, left on the table payment for designated holidays, the Union dropped the request for communications allowance, allowing other people monitoring to give performance ratings, since this practice seems to exist today.
The Union also proposed an upgrade for the credit department and discussed the need to assign breaks and lunches on a more consistent basis and the need to assign the off line assignments more fairly.
We dropped some of our demands that called for a clarification from the Company after receiving appropriate information from the Company. After the recess we re-convened to hear the Company tell us that the credit department doesn’t appear to be over worked and their work has been automated, and in fact made easier.
The Union then responded to the Company’s wage offer by rejecting it. The Company is tying the wage demands to an additional floating holiday and more flexibility in vacation scheduling by allowing a defined percentage of employees time off. Of course the Company wants to block some days in the month, namely 8, guess what? That’s the exact numbers of Mondays and Tuesdays in a month. The Company claims it is taking a huge leap by giving a guaranteed percentage of people off. We suggested they take a uge leap, a huge flying leap.
BARGAINING REPORT
CWA LOCAL 13500
AND
VERIZON TELEPRODUCTS, CORP.
Report #8
June 28, 2004
Our Bargaining session opened today with the Union raising issues that were brought up at last Thursday’s General Membership Meeting. We asked why people who work the four-day workweek lose one personal day. The Company refuted this statement claiming that all time off is calculated by the hour and, whether one works 4 days or 5 in a week, all receive the same amount of time off.
We brought up the lack of Company response to escalations, no performance ratings for 2003 in some areas, the problems with added responsibilities in the Credit/Collection Dept., and problem getting vacation time off. The Company’s bargaining team agreed to look into each of these problems and claimed they were aware of some of these issues already. The Union suggested that some system be established allowing more communication between the workers on position and the office supervision. The Union believes that approach would be an improvement over simply “barking” orders and suspending people.
After a short recess, the Company returned with their wage proposal: a lump sum payment equal to 1½% of basic weekly wage for the first year of the contract; then, a 2% wage increase in each of the next four (4) years. The Union’s bargaining team looked over the offer and, without comment, the meeting was adjourned.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday June 29th. With so little time left before the expiration of the contract it appears the Company has not listened to your concerns or demands for a reasonable wage increase.
WEAR RED ON WEDNESDAY. LET MANAGEMENT KNOW YOU ARE SOLID AND YOUR DEMANDS MUST BE HEARD!!!!
BARGAINING REPORT
CWA LOCAL 13500
AND
VERIZON TELEPRODUCTS, CORP.
Report #7
June 24, 2004
Discussions began with the Company offering a counter proposal for the mutual interest committee and a proposal to combine the collections coordinator and credit coordinator into one title, even though there are no employees in the collections coordinator title. The Company then decided to re-think that proposal when the Union requested more money for the combined title.
The Company then went on to explain why it needs to combine the Account Rep title with the Customer Service Rep title. The Company assured us that the Account Reps will only get overflow calls from customer service. The Union’s biggest concern is any loss of revenue to the Account Rep. A lively discussion ensued and no agreement was reached on this issue.
We went on to discuss the Company’s method of allowing vacation days and agreed that we need improvement in this method. The Union believes the Company’s schedule is much too strict. There was some movement on this issue, but no agreement was reached.
The next scheduled meeting is Monday June 28th.
BARGAINING REPORT
CWA LOCAL 13500
AND
VERIZON TELEPRODUCTS, CORP.
Report #6
June 23, 2004
Bargaining opened with the Company asking for more input on the Union’s proposal to provide more flexibility in vacation/floating holiday scheduling and increasing the number of available personal days. There was a discussion to combine the collections and credit coordinator titles. The Company rejected the Union’s demand for a new title in the VOL group. They also rejected the Union’s demand to improve the scheduling process, including breaks and lunch schedules. The Company claims it is doing everything possible and bending over backwards to make the schedules fair.
The Company agreed to re-look at the Union’s proposal to change the layoff language. They agreed to come back with a counter offer to the Union’s demand to better define the surplus universe for the purpose of a layoff.
The Company also rejected the Union’s proposal to allow only the employee’s own supervisor to rate their performance on monitored calls. The Company claims that the employees’ supervisor is the only one who gives performance evaluations, even though other supervisors may monitor and rate calls. The Company continued by rejecting a shift differential for tours starting after 9:00 PM, improving the inclement weather policy, establishing differentials for Saturday and Sunday work and a reduction in the number of agency temps.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 24th. There is a membership meeting Thursday evening to discuss the progress of bargaining with all members. Please plan to attend.
REMEMBER TO WEAR RED ON THURSDAYS!!!
BARGAINING REPORT
CWA LOCAL 13500
AND
VERIZON TELEPRODUCTS, CORP.
Report #5
June 10, 2004
Today’s bargaining session began with the Union questioning some of the information provided by the Company, including how the Company determined how to hire above the start rate and how temps get time off. We discussed some housekeeping items, such as moving articles in the contract.
We discussed the Company’s proposal to move people into different job titles and clarify the Company’s position on the need for its proposal to move the people in the RSC Acct. Rep title into the Customer Service Rep title. The Company responded that it needs more flexibility to address the needs of the business and customer call volumes.
We also discussed the Company’s demand to drop two Holidays, Presidents Day and the Day-After-Thanksgiving. They want to give two floating holidays in place of these fixed holidays.
We suggested that the Company’s demand for a five year contract might be a bit premature. The Company took their turn to deny some of the Union’s proposals. They rejected our demand to reduce the workweek to 37.5, allowing 2 personal days to be taken in 2 hour increments, rotation of off-line time, access to “Kids in the Workplace”, differentials for work after 7:00 P.M., a paid holiday for Martin Luther King’s birthday, and giving vacations and other benefits to part time employees. They also denied the Union demand to better schedule breaks and lunches.
Apparently, flexibility is a one-way street here at TeleProducts!
Our next scheduled bargaining session is June 16th.
REMEMBER TO WEAR RED ON THURSDAYS!!!
BARGAINING REPORT
CWA LOCAL 13500
AND
VERIZON TELEPRODUCTS, CORP.
Report #4
June 9, 2004
The bargaining session opened with the Union discussing some of the open issues such as a differential for “lead workers” and quotas in the warehouse. The Company responded that their quotas are reasonable and most people in the warehouse meet the standards. The Company then provided the Union with additional information that we requested, such as the number of temps on the payroll and a copy of the attendance plan.
The Union discussed the Company’s proposals without giving a formal response. There were further discussions surrounding vacation selection methods and the availability of days during the year. It is obvious that the Company needs more employees to meet the demands of the customer calls. The amount of calls expected per day has just been raised to 90. The Union argued that this jeopardizes customer satisfaction, for which employees are also held accountable.
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