CWA 1101_GENERATOR NL SEPT 2016 .indd

Transcription

NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2016
Tel: (212) 633-2666
www.local1101.org
Special Commemorative Issue
September, 2016
2016 Issue 1
Verizon Strike 2016
One Day Longer One Day Stronger
On April 13, 2016 Verizon workers launched the
biggest strike in the U.S. in years. We struck one of the
largest, most profitable companies in the country, and we
won. 39,000 CWA and IBEW workers and their families
from Massachusetts to Virginia struck for seven weeks,
showing Verizon and the country that strikes still work.
“When we went on strike, I felt it was overdue,” said
Crystal Rucando, a steward and picket captain at 140 West
Street. “Before the strike the company was taking advantage
of us. When we walked out it felt like we had taken a stand
and said we’re not going to take this anymore.”
Verizon wanted to eliminate job security, transfer
workers far from home, contract out more work, cap pensions, raise members’ health care costs, cut retiree health
care, ship more call center jobs overseas, make Sunday a
regular workday… the list went on and on. “This wasn’t a
company that was hurting,” said CWA Local 1101 President and Bargaining Team member Keith Purce. “Verizon
was making $1.8 billion a month in profits and the CEO
took home $18 million in 2015. They were doing great
and they still wanted major concessions from the workers.”
In addition to the landline workers, nearly 100 Local
1101 Verizon Wireless technicians, and retail workers at
six Brooklyn and one Massachusetts Verizon Wireless
store, walked out the door as well. The strike spanned nine
states, and included multiple CWA and IBEW locals, who
bargained together.
This Generator is CWA Local 1101’s story.
Photo: April 13, picket line goes up at East 56th Street
1
A Long Contract Fight
The strike wasn’t the beginning of the fight. It came
after 10 months of bargaining, and a nearly two year
contract campaign. In July 2014 Local 1101 began a
series of meetings with chiefs and stewards from different departments to brainstorm mobilization ideas. On
December 4, 2014 we held a rally commemorating the
25 year anniversary of the 1989 strike with the message
“We walked then. We will strike again”.
We leafletted Verizon Wireless stores in Manhattan
and the Bronx throughout 2015. We held informational
pickets outside Verizon buildings. We met before work
and marched in together. We protested Verizon executives
speaking at conferences. We turned down voluntary overtime. We held member mobilization and picket captain
trainings. On July 25 thousands of Verizon workers from
across the East Coast rallied in lower Manhattan.
When the contract expired on August 1, 2015 we
stepped up our mobilization on the street and at work.
Members turned their tools, keys and tablets in at the
end of every shift because we could go out at any time.
“Mobilization in house helped us build the foundation for when we were in
the street,” said Al Russo,
CWA Local 1101 Vice
President and Bargaining Team member. “Our
members were engaged
and ready to go, and
that’s what made the
difference. Member participation and solidarity
is what made this strike
victorious.”
Meanwhile Verizon intensified its discipline of members. They implemented a punitive “Quality Assurance
Review (QAR)” plan, interviewing technicians for hours
about every minute of their day.
“Members were angry about the QARs,” said Business
Agent Bill Stefandel. “The company had created an incredibly stressful work environment. They were suspending
technicians for 30 days, even when they knew they didn’t
have a case.”
“Managers were being told to suspend people, so they
did,” said Kim Marshall, a steward at 132nd St and a picket
captain at the 109 St store. “When we went on strike,
members understood this was something we had to do.”
We publicized how Verizon’s job cuts were leading to
deteriorating service quality. We lobbied, petitioned, and
protested at the NYS Public Service Commission until
they agreed to hold hearings. We launched the “Where’s
My FiOS” campaign, highlighting disparities in Verizon’s
FiOS roll-out and calling on the company to meet its
obligations and build FiOS throughout NYC.
We took our message anywhere and everywhere. Verizon workers deserve a good
contract, and customers
deserve quality service. We
kept the pressure on but
Verizon refused to listen.
“The Company wasn’t
giving in to any demands,”
said Keith Purce. “They
weren’t bargaining fairly
and we didn’t have any
other alternative but to
strike to get a fair contract.”
VP Mike Baxter meeting with members at E 56 St
NEW YORK GENERATOR LOCAL 1101, CWA
275 Seventh Avenue, 17th Fl New York, NY 10001 Bronx Office: 1703 Castle Hill Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462
Phone: 212-633-2666 Bronx: 718-823-7330 Tapes: 212-633-6753 Web: www.local1101.org
Official Publication of CWA Local 1101. Reprint rights granted to all labor publications.
President: Keith Purce Secretary/Treasurer: Kevin Condy
Vice Presidents: Mike Baxter, Pat Lascala, Al Russo
Business Agents: Ken Beckett, Kathy Brindle, Pete Torres, Heather Trainor, Bill Stefandel, Joe Ventola, Val Valentino
Editors: Mike Baxter, Pam Galpern Photographers: Vinny Galvin, Alex Ortiz, Ron Spaulding
Design: Tom Smucker Printer: Impala Press
2
Contract Campaign Mobilizations
Thank you: Not
only were we everywhere during
the strike, so were
our great photographers, Vinny Galvin and Alex Ortiz.
Clockwise top left: E 37 St members; Holiday action
at 34 St VZW store; Retirees at March 31, 2016 rally;
Bronx members leaflet E Fordham Rd store winter
2015; Dec 4, 2014 rally; BA Bill Stefandel and King St.
members; Sec-Treas Kevin Condy, Nov 19, 2015 march;
E 56 St lunchtime action; BA Ken Beckett & chiefs at
Fight for $15 rally.
3
Brothers & Sisters It’s 6 AM
It was still dark at 6am on
April 13 when Keith announced
the strike to more than 800 Local
1101 members rallying in front of
the 36 St Central Office. Strikers
fanned out to picket every Verizon
Wireless store and Verizon central
office and garage in Manhattan and
the Bronx, and to look for anyone
doing Verizon work.
“These guys were in it 100%
from day one,” said Val Valentino,
Business Agent. “They didn’t let up.
We hit a lot of different places. Every
night we’d make a call, and hundreds
of members would be there in the
morning. It was amazing to see.”
Day 1: Top: Strikers at Washington Square Park, VP Al Russo at
6am rally, East 56 Street picket line
4
And We Are On Strike!
The Democratic Presidential primary was in full swing
on April 13 and both candidates were in NYC. Vermont
Senator Bernie Sanders spoke to 27,000 at Washington
Square Park the evening of April 13. Hundreds of Verizon
strikers marched through the massive crowd, and 150
strikers were given front and center seats at the rally. Hillary Clinton visited strikers at the VZW picket line at 42
Street that same day.
“The Bernie Sanders movement opened a lot of peoples’ eyes,” said Kim Marshall. “When people heard our
chants and saw our signs about corporate greed, they came
over to talk to us. It helped engage them in what was going
on in the media at the time. We got a lot of questions, and
a lot of support.”
Strikers rally at Washington Square Park before Bernie
speaks; Sanders speaking in the park; Hillary Clinton at
42nd Street VZW store
5
Day Two
On Day 2 thousands of 1101 strikers marched across
the Brooklyn Bridge and met up with CWA Local 1109.
Together we marched to the Clinton/Sanders debate at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard. Sanders denounced Verizon CEO
McAdam’s plan to outsource decent paying jobs while
paying high executive wages and avoiding federal taxes,
on national TV.
April 14 was also a national day of action for the Fight
for $15. Strikers joined Fight for $15 rallies, making clear
this fight was about much more than just our jobs and our
contract. “Con Ed was looking because their contract was
coming up. People who were fighting for a minimum wage
increase were looking,” said Valerie Nielson, a steward at
Randall Avenue and picket captain at the White Plains
store in the Bronx. “One thing that pushed us, when it got
hard, was knowing that people everywhere were watching
the strike. You knew, if we go down, so many others will
go down after us. We knew we had to hold out as long as
it took to make sure we got a good contract.”
Clockwise top left: Strikers rally in Cadman Plaza Park;
March across the Brooklyn Bridge; Strikers joined an early
morning Fight for $15 march and stopped to protest in
front of 42nd St VZW store
6
“We knew this strike had to be fought differently and we were ready,” said Purce. Verizon rolled
vans out from its 129th Street garage, and they were
immediately followed by mobile picketers. The company responded by taking their entire operation in
Manhattan underground. They dispatched scabs from
hotels and sent them out in Enterprise rental vans and
unmarked cars. They stored supplies at storage units
to avoid having to use Verizon garages.
Mobile picket teams were active, and they were effective. “We came out of
the Local one day to go to mobile picket sites, and there was a company digging a trench right down the block,” said Pete Torres, Business Agent. “When
I questioned them they said they were doing telephone work. I told him that
was our work, and we were on strike, but he didn’t care. Within 25 minutes we
had 300 strikers there and we shut the job down.”
Top 2: BA Pete Torres, VP Mike
Baxter, BAs Val Valentino and
Ken Beckett and strikers making
life difficult for managers trying
to fix cables at 53rd St & 8 Ave.
Bottom 2: Picketing storage units
Verizon used instead of garages to
(unsuccessfully) avoid strikers.
7
Top 2: Strikers
picketing 34 St
VZW store; Left:
BAs Ken Beckett
& Heather
Trainor with
strikers at 34 St
Clockwise: Strikers
picketing Third Ave VZW
store; Call and response,
125 St VZW store; Watch
engineers picketing E 97
St. They picketed garages
throughout the city.
8
Meanwhile strikers were
outside every Verizon Wireless
store seven days a week. The
public support was astounding.
“We had NYSNA nurses,
32BJ, CUNY, TWU, Macy’s
workers, people who came
with their children. We had
a lot of people join the line,”
said Shavonda Mack, a chief
steward at 36 Street and a
picket captain at the 34 Street
store.
“The public support was
tremendous,” said Joe Ventola,
Business Agent in the Bronx.
“We put “This Business Supports Verizon Workers Fighting Corporate Greed” signs
everywhere. We ran out. The
Con Ed workers union Local
1-2 was there every week.
MTA workers, electricians,
nurses. They were all stopping
by, bringing water and pizza,
telling us we support you and
we won’t cross your lines.”
Sunday, April 17, hundreds of Local 1101 members
were at the Westin Hotel at 7am with a giant rat. It was
the first of many “CWA wake-up calls” at hotels throughout the city where Verizon was dispatching and housing
scabs. The early morning protests were loud, visible, and
effective. “They were trying to be sneaky, circumvent the
normal rules of engagement,” said Tom Parisi, a steward at
Varick Street and a picket captain at the Wall Street store.
“We found a way around that. They could run but they
couldn’t hide.”
“No matter what we asked the members, no matter
what time it was, they were there in large numbers, said Al
Russo. “They were ready to do whatever it took to win.”
“It’s a very physical activity being on the line, especially for inside people,” said Mack, who represents inside
workers. “We’re not used to being out in the elements
all day, being on our feet that long. It was a shock to the
system, but people were very resilient. They did what they
had to do.”
“Every picket line I was on, there was this overwhelming sense of togetherness and comradery. People were
making sure everyone was ok, taking care of each other,”
said Business Agent Heather Trainor.
The Westin, the Sheraton, the Hampton Inn, the Grand
Hyatt. You name it, we were there.
9
April 18, 6th Ave, Manhattan
On Monday, April 18, 8000 CWA and
IBEW members from across the region rallied on 36 Street and marched to the 42 Street
VZW store. The sea of red stretched through
midtown; the energy was electrifying. Strikers came from all five boroughs, Long Island,
Westchester, upstate New York and New Jersey.
“The rallies helped build our momentum,” said
Stefandel. “Members saw thousands of people at
every rally, and it kept their spirits up and made
them realize they weren’t alone.”
Rally & march up 6th Ave. Inset: Gladys Finnegan,
District 1 Assistant to the VP, Keith Purce CWA Local
1101 President, District 1 VP Dennis Trainor
10
April 20, Jerome Ave, The Bronx
On Election Day April 19 strikers fanned out
across the city with strike placards and Sanders literature. On April 20, 2000 strikers gathered in front of
the Jerome Avenue garage in the Bronx and marched
to the Fordham Rd Verizon Wireless store.
Richard Foye, a field technician at Jerome Ave
in the Bronx has worked at the phone company for
45 years and been a steward for 37. “I was on strike
in 1971. I was suspended for 30 days after the ‘89
strike. I’m the old man on the line, and this was my
last strike. I was at Jerome Ave every day at 4am,
until 4 in the afternoon. I had to be, because it was
my job. And I had to show the young people that us
old folk, we were there too. They see me out there,
they stay out there. I was so proud of the members
at Jerome Avenue, including the escorts. They were
there every single day.”
Strikers in red shirts and strike placards were
all over the city – supporting 32BJ security guards
in their contract fight, at Workers Memorial Day
Commemorations, at Labor for Bernie, NYC Central
Labor Council and Farmworker rallies, at the Workers
Unite Film Festival.
Top: 1101 Members came from all over to join the
Bronx rally and march. Middle: Bronx BA Joe Ventola
at East Fordham Rd VZ rally. Lower middle: BA Pete
Torres and VP Mike Baxter with members. Below:
Members and VP Pat LaScala marching in the Bronx.
11
CWA began an Adopt a Verizon Wireless Store program nationally, and the calls from unions and community
groups offering to help poured in. CWA members outside
the strike’s footprint began setting up informational pickets
at Verizon Wireless stores in their areas.
Pictures and videos of massive rallies in NY, Boston,
NJ, and Washington DC were posted on CWA’s national
“Stand up to Verizon” page. Strikers from up and down the
east coast posted pictures of their families and their picket
lines. You could see how big the strike was, how strong the
lines were, and the growing public support. It was tough
not getting a paycheck, but it was inspiring to be part of
such a historic struggle.
“Members were coming up with new mobilization
ideas every day,” said Pam Galpern, a mobilization coordinator at Local 1101. “People who had never spoken in
public were speaking at rallies, talking to the press, organizing actions. The energy was tremendous, and it lifted
us all up.”
Josey Allgor, an 1101 Chief Steward was a picket captain at the 20th Street store. “We had huge support from
32BJ. When they came they came en masse. The thrill we
would feel to see another group marching toward us to join
our line. We were there every day. I remember once, it was
around day 40. We were tired. Money was tight. Fifty 32BJ
members came marching down the block with signs. To
have them do that, it lifted our spirits. There was never a
dull moment on that line.”
Members were volunteering not just to do their regular picket duty, but to do additional things,” said Business
Agent Ken Beckett. “COEI people filled in wherever we
needed them. Verizon Business members realized the fight
wouldn’t be won just picketing their regular locations, and
they joined the line at the 20th St store, and wherever we
asked them to go. This was their first big strike and they
did great.”
“We were effective because we weren’t stationary,” said
Val Valentino. “We didn’t stand in front of empty buildings
every day. We picketed the stores, we rallied, we traveled
throughout the city. Everything we did increased our visibility and public support for the strike.”
“One thing that pushed us, when it
got hard, was knowing that people
everywhere were watching the strike”
Top down: The Hotel Trades Council adopted not
one but two stores, Lexington Ave & Soho. The Asian
Pacific American Labor Alliance joined 39th St.
members at the 42 St VZW store. DC37 on the line
with strikers at 140 West St. 32 BJ members joined
the line at the Union Square store.
12
May 1st & Still
Going Strong
“People walking by were proud that we were out fighting for our rights,” said Tim Dennehy, a steward at 26th
Street and picket captain at the Soho store. “Retirees were
showing up to picket. Members who weren’t so into it at
first, seeing all the support, that got them moving. They
were out there engaging the public. Not just hand-billing,
but really talking to people.”
Verizon Fed Ex’ed every member a “last best offer”
on April 28. Two days later on May 1 they cancelled
members’ health care, leaving 39,000 members and their
families with no coverage. The company had already sent
every member a letter with instructions on how to scab
during the strike.
“When we got those letters, and they cut our benefits, that’s what galvanized us and brought us together. It
seemed like the Company went out of their way to show
they were hell bent on breaking us. And seeing that, it lit a
fire in everyone to stick together and see this thing all the
way through,” said Zeke Cousins, Chief Steward at 129th
Street and picket captain at 125th Street store.
Clockwise: 125 St
store picket line with
the Rude Mechanical
Orchestra; the
“Trumpets”; NYSNA
President Judy
Sheridan-Gonzalez
with Keith Purce;
140 West St. picket
line; holding the line
at Bay Plaza store,
Bronx, ECS and
Verizon Business
members came
together to picket the
20th St store
13
Meanwhile, the company was bringing scabs
in from all over to try to do our jobs. “Scab watch”
sites went up on Facebook. Some of the videos were
hilarious – scabs using window cleaner to try to
remove pixilation from fiber cables – but many portrayed scabs with no clue how to do the job putting
themselves and the public in danger. News reports
of scabs attacking picketers, driving recklessly, and
carrying weapons began appearing. So did articles
reporting major outages, fallen poles, and customers
who couldn’t get their service restored.
“I think the company didn’t understand how
skilled we are as a labor force and thought they
could move on without us”, said Mike Cefalo, a
chief steward in the Bronx.
“They had inside managers,
human resource managers
here in the field. It was a big
culture shock to them to realize they can’t do our jobs.”
Member Relief Fund
Administering the Member Relief Fund was a huge undertaking. Local 1101 Secretary Treasurer Kevin Condy did an
amazing job, working day and night to make sure members got
their strike benefits paid on time. Working with him were Tom
Ballard, Liz Dononhue, Scott Heid, and Barbara Peterson. The
Local’s staff - Anne Dagosta, Renee Foye, Charlene Henry and
Victoria Iacoviello – were critical to the operation. We couldn’t
have done it without all your hard work.
Thanks to Rich Merengelo for dispatching mobile picketers and reaching out to other unions to make sure they didn’t
cross, and to Ron Spaulding for taking care of everything and
anything to keep things running smoothly at the Local.
Verizon cut our benefits but our union took
care of us. Thank you Pat McManus and Bill
Gross for all your hard work helping members
with medical benefits during the strike.
“Members were resolved not to back down and
without a doubt, that’s what won this strike”
The Local 1101 Retired Members Council (RMC)
organized a human billboard across the street from Verizon
HQ and adopted two stores. “I picketed the VZW store
in SoHo every Wednesday,” said John O’Hara, a retired
cable splicer. “I went to practically every rally before that.
The members surprised me. I thought they’d be more out
for themselves. They weren’t. They realized why we were
there, and they realized someday they’ll be retired too.”
One of the company’s big demands was to cut retiree
health benefits. “They’re going after something I spent
close to 2 years on the street for when I was working,”
said O’Hara, referring to time spent on the line in 1971,
1989 and multiple other strikes. “We were promised we’d
14
have those benefits for a lifetime and now they’re going
against it.”
“You know how retirees tell their stories, and the
active members say ‘you told that story already’, said Pat
Welsh, retired cable splicer from Local 1101 and President
of District 1’s Retired Members Council. “You thought
they weren’t listening. You could see from this strike, they
were listening. They wanted to go out and make their
own story.”
“I’m so proud of the active members for holding onto
the legacy we built and fighting for what we left them. They
were resolved not to back down and without a doubt, that’s
what won this strike.”
VZW Workers on the Line
Right: Verizon Wireless retail strikers on
the line with strikers at the 109 St store.
Below: Verizon Wireless technicians
picketing the Farmingdale switch
A Family Affair
On May 2 Verizon Wireless retail workers from
Brooklyn CWA Local 1109 came to Manhattan to
picket with 1101 wireline workers. Verizon Wireless
technicians, members of Local 1101, were picketing
every wireless switch location in the City, Long Island,
Westchester and Rockland. Their presence was key,
since Verizon was intent on keeping a wall dividing
wireless from wireline. “There was a lot of participation across the board from the Wireless technicians,”
said Mike Baxter, CWA Local 1101 Vice President and
member of the Verizon Wireless Bargaining Team. “At
the Farmingdale and Nyack switches and at some of
the stores, we had more landline and wireless workers
picketing together than ever before.”
“They’re the only Verizon Wireless techs in the
country with the protection that VZW can’t change
their working conditions at will,” said Baxter. “The
Company wanted to put in a management rights clause
which would have allowed them to change any policy
they wanted without negotiating with the union,
including policies governing sick time and code of
business conduct. The technicians have protections no
one else at VZW has. The Company wanted to remove
those protections and put them on same plane as the
rest of the VZW workers.” By striking the Verizon
Wireless technicians were able to keep the management
rights clause out and protect their contract.
Strikers brought their children to
the picket lines and rallies, revealing our not so secret weapon: support and back-up from families
and friends.
15
May 5, Wall Street
On May 5 union members and supporters from
across the city joined thousands of strikers in a march
through Manhattan’s financial district. We ended
with a huge rally in front of Verizon Wireless’ Wall
Street store.
May 5 was also Verizon’s annual shareholders
meeting in Albuquerque New Mexico. Five Local
1101 members flew to NM and joined hundreds of
CWA members in protests surrounding the meeting
site. CWA staff-people and allies lay down on a huge
banner blocking traffic.
Clockwise top left:
Members rally at
140 West St; Russo,
Pu r c e , L a S c a l a
leading march;
strikers at Wall
& Water St rally;
C WA Pre s i d e n t
Chris Shelton &
District 1 VP Dennis Trainor; Strikers and supporters
at Wall & Water
rally
16
Congressman Jerrold Nadler with strikers at Canal
St VZW; NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer with
strikers at E Fordham Rd VZW; State Assemblyman
Daniel Squadron with strikers at Wall St VZW; NYS
Assemblywoman Deborah Glick with strikers at Soho
store
“There were CWA members who had driven nine
hours from Phoenix to be there,” said Fitz Boyce, a steward at 39th Street and a picket captain at the 42nd Street
store. “Members from other unions who weren’t even on
strike came to support us.”
On May 8 CWA organized
a delegation to travel to the Philippines to talk with workers in
Verizon call centers there. The
U.S. call center workers met with
their counterparts and learned the
company was off-shoring many
more calls than they had admitted
to, that the workers were working
for as little as $1.78/hour and were
being forced to work overtime with
no compensation. When Verizon security contractors
detained the CWA delegation at gunpoint and took
them to the police station, the story gained national
media attention.
Back in the States strikers were holding strong. “I
think a lot of members had underestimated their own
willingness to fight,” said Pat Hunt, a steward at the
47th St. garage and a mobile picket coordinator. “We
hadn’t been through a long strike. But we knew our
jobs were on the line. When we walked, a lot of the
uncertainty of the strike, a lot of the fear, was gone. Once
we got out there, we saw there was an organized plan, and
that it was working. That’s what made people stick to it.”
“Everyone knew it’s now or never,” said Tom Parisi.
“We knew this was a union-busting strike, and if we didn’t
participate now we would never have that opportunity
again. This was our moment.”
The Local was staffed 24/7, with Business Agents
rotating the overnight assignments. “It was busy at night,”
said Heather Trainor. “Guys who had overnight picket duty
would call to see where the open manholes were. They’d
come by to get signs and fliers. I couldn’t get over how
many people were out there every night. We always had
someone at the Local, because we didn’t want anyone to
feel they were out there by themselves.”
Alpha Andrews was hired by Verizon in 2008 as
a logistics driver, was laid off, and rehired as a temporary bus driver in 2012. As a result of the strike,
he and the other bus drivers were made permanent.
“At first people walking by the picket line thought
we were there because we wanted more money. But
we talked to them, and they came to understand it
wasn’t about the money. It was about job security,
and protecting our benefits and our pensions,” said
Andrews. “Everyone hung in there and came through
for us. I met a lot of new people and I learned a lot,
like when we all stand together we can achieve what
we need to.”
17
they’re not alone, they’re part of something much bigger.”
The NYC Central Labor Council and NYS AFL-CIO
helped build union support throughout the city. Teamsters,
sanitation workers, hotel workers, ironworkers, electricians,
construction workers, building service, gas and electric
workers all refused to cross.
We reached out to elected officials for their support.
Many were already unhappy with Verizon’s abandonment
of its copper network and failure to build FiOS. They came
to the picket lines, wrote and called CEO McAdam. 90
Congress people signed onto a public letter urging McAdam to settle the strike with a fair contract.
Local municipalities began cancelling Verizon contracts. CWA was escalating the national Boycott Verizon
Wireless campaign and organizing national days of action
to get more locals across the country to adopt stores.
On May 10 the company got a restraining order
against our early morning protests at the hotels in
NYC. We found other places to expose Verizon’s
corporate greed and keep the strike in the public eye.
Local 1101 members were outside Madison Square
Garden, on the early morning TV shows, at Verizon
owned AOL headquarters, at the radio stations running scab ads.
“We won the strike by being everywhere,” said
Keith Purce. “The company didn’t know what hit
them.”
AT&T Mobility workers, members of CWA Local
1101, came out in support as well. Muhammad Abdulkhabir and Tiffany Rosario, 1101 Chief Stewards,
brought an AT&T Mobility mobilization class to the
picket line. “We wanted them to see that solidarity really
works, that you have to stick together to make change,”
said Rosario. “At first they were shy. It was their first time
on a picket line. Then they got more comfortable. Some
of them went back during their lunch hours, after work.
They talked about it with their co-workers.”
“Our contract at AT&T Mobility expires in February
next year,” said Abdulkhabir. “We wanted AT&T Mobility to see they’re not dealing with ones and twos, they’re
dealing with a lot of us. For the members, it was good
for them to see what our union is capable of. They saw
Top: Strikers outside Good Morning America. Bottom:
AT&T Mobility members join the line at 34 St.VZW
18
“We won the strike by being everywhere,” said Keith Purce.
“The company didn’t know what hit them.”
On May 16, Thomas Perez, the U.S. Secretary of
Labor announced that Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam,
CWA President Chris Shelton and IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson had met with him in DC and agreed to
try to reach a resolution. For the next week and a half the
bargaining teams met in DC, while strikers kept the pressure on in the street.
“The strike created leverage for the bargaining team”,
Purce said. “Verizon wasn’t
willing to bargain until we
went to Washington. We
would not have gotten to
that point in DC if we hadn’t
struck. The Company knew
they couldn’t break the union
and they had to bargain
fairly. Now members know
that we’re willing to strike
and demand fair treatment.
And the company knows it too.
Before this strike they thought we
wouldn’t pull the trigger.”
On May 20 more than 500
Local 1101 members protested
Verizon CFO Fran Shammo’s appearance at an investors meeting
in midtown Manhattan. Inside the meeting, Shammo
acknowledged that the company wasn’t able to complete
new installations and the strike was hurting its revenue.
“For most of us this was the longest strike we had experienced,” said Fitz Boyce. I think the company was banking
on the fact that because most of us were inexperienced in
long term strikes that we’d fold. In fact, we were able to
endure. People were resourceful, and the strike made the
union stronger.”
A few days later at a Boston meeting CEO McAdam,
with 800 New England strikers protesting outside, admitted that the company would take a 2nd quarter and year
end hit on revenue due to the strike. Wells Fargo lowered
its profit-margin and revenue estimates for Verizon.
Verizon stock was down. The work was not getting
done. Verizon’s claims that
they could manage the workload with their managers and
newly hired, poorly trained
scabs were laughable. Legislators were angry, customers
were irate, investors were
nervous, public support was
growing and strikers’ resolve
was strong.
“I think the company
was counting on us slacking off,”
said Pete Torres. “When we didn’t
we took them by surprise. They
weren’t expecting us to do what
we did in the street.”
On May 27 the company and
the Unions reached an agreement
in principle for a four year contract. Picket lines were
pulled down and bargaining team members spent the
weekend getting it in writing. On May 29 CWA District
1 VP Dennis Trainor announced the details of the Tentative Agreement.
We beat back the concessions and got a good contract.
The strike was officially over. We had won.
Top: Strikers protesting CFO Fran Shammo at the Park Meridien. Below: Day 44, still going strong. Strikers in
Washington Square Park after protesting Verizon VP Mark Bartolomeo at NYU conference.
19
Last Best Offer? We Don’t Think So
After a lengthy contract battle
and a seven week strike, on June 1
we walked back in the door with our
heads held high.
After the strike Verizon fired
five workers from Local 1101 for
alleged violations during the strike.
So far one has gotten his job back.
We’re fighting for the other four
members’ jobs as we go to print.
Every shop in the Local is taking a
weekly collection for our fired union
brothers, knowing that could be
anyone of us.
Members across the footprint
voted overwhelmingly to ratify the
contract. Verizon Wireless technicians ratified their contract by an
overwhelming majority as well.
Verizon Wireless retail workers won
a first contract, winning job security
language, a wage increase and protection from unfair discipline.
Members felt
a strong sense of
pride in what they’d
accomplished. “I
was so proud to be
part of this strike,”
said Valerie Nielson. “The Company
thought they were
going to break this
union. None of us
were going to let that
happen.”
Instead the opposite happened.
“It invigorated our
membership,” said
Tim Dennehy. “We
needed something to
pull us together. The
strike did that, and
we’re stronger for it
in the end.”
Contract ratification: May 31, 2016
20
Certificate in Labor Relations
Learn about the labor movement, labor relations and
unionism to build power on the job!
• Open to eligible members of CWA local 1101 with a
High School diploma or equivalent
• Classes held in the evening in Midtown once a week for
15 weeks
• 16 CUNY Credits (4 Classes)
• Tuition and fees generally covered through VZTap or
other reimbursement programs!
For More Info call Pam Galpem at
CWA Local 1101 (212) 633-2666
or visit
bit.ly/labor_cert
“Verizon has a slogan that
‘better matters.’ I want Verizon to
know that unions matter and
unity in the working class matters.
This is a ght larger than CWA,
larger than Verizon.”
21
231 West 21st Street in the lower level
Between 7th and 8th Avenues
New York, NY 10011
We’ve been providing care for the members
of CWA Local 1101 for over 15 years and
would like to welcome all union employees
and their families to our office.
No out-of-pocket expense with the
BC/BS MEP HCP health plan
.
Chiropractic is effective treatment for:
Pain Management (Neck, Shoulders, Back, Arm, and Leg)
Arthritis/Sciatica/Herniated Disc/Sports Injuries/Tingling/
Numbness/Pinched Nerve/Migraines/Headaches/Dizziness/
Stress/Anxiety/Depression/Insomnia/Chronic Fatigue
Disability Specialist knowledgeable in FMLA, MetLife, Worker’s
Compensation, and Personal Injury.
Call us today 212-243-6384
22
23
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
CENTEREACH, NY
PERMIT NO. 52
CWA Local 1101
NEW YORK
GENERATOR
• SEPTEMBER
275
Seventh Avenue,
17th Floor2016
New York, NY 10001
May 27, 2016
Victory! Members from the 129 St garage picketing the 125 St Verizon
Wireless store hear the news that an agreement has been reached.
24

CWA 1101_GENERATOR NL SEPT 2016 .indd

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