CWA 1101 GENERATOR SEPT 2014 NL.indd

NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
Tel: (212) 633-2666
www.local1101.org
September, 2014
2014 Issue 2
Moving Forward With Mobilization
Political Action & Organizing
Story and captions on page 3
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NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
Keith Purce
50 Years & Still
Going Strong
On July 20, 1964, Anton
Skrivanek began his career at New
York Telephone, and 50 years later,
he is still going strong. Anton has
worked through name changes and
mergers, as well as unforeseeable
technological advancement, but one
thing has remained the same: Anton
has been a proud member of Local
1101 throughout his career.
After completing his training
at 811 10th Ave, Anton’s title was
Frameman and he was assigned to the
56th Street Central Office as part of
an area force that covered 56th Street,
79th street and 97th street CO’s. As
soon as he could, Anton upgraded
to Switchman and transferred down
to West Street. Besides being transferred to the Bronx for about a week,
Anton was at West Street until 1986
and served as Shop Steward briefly in
the mid 1960s. Anton remembers,
“Even with air conditioning, the
CO’s were always very hot and loud
because of all the analog equipment.
The more digital equipment we got,
the quieter it got but that wasn’t
necessarily a good thing.”
In 1986, when the Control Center moved to Pearl Street, Anton went
with the work
and remained
at Pearl Street
until moving to
his current location at 36th
street in 2010.
When asked
about his future,
Anton said he
plans on staying around for
a while and he
would be happy
to reach 60 years
or more.
Throughout the years,
Anton has been
a solid and reliable member of
Local 1101 who
spent over a year
of his career on
the picket line
fighting for the benefits that we all
enjoy today. Everyone at Local 1101
congratulates Anton on his 50 years of
service and looks forward to sharing
the future with him.
President’s Report
Left to right: Local 1101
Secretary-Treasurer Kevin
Condy, 50 year Local 1101
member Anton Skrivanek,
and Local 1101 President
Keith Purce
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: Al Russo, Mike Baxter, Pat Lascala
Business Agents: Ron Spaulding, Pete Torres, Doug Grant, Joe Ventola, Ken Beckett, Val Valentino, Kathy Brindle
Editor: Mike Baxter Photographers: Vinny Galvin, James Stone, Alex Ortiz Printer: Impala Press
2
We’re moving ahead with mobilization, political action and organizing
across Local 1101.
August 1, 2015 marked one year
to contract expiration at Verizon. We
kicked off the contract campaign with
pre-work mobilizations at every Verizon worksite in Manhattan and the
Bronx. Members turned out strong to
show the company we’re ready to fight
to protect our contract, our jobs and
our future. Check out the pictures at
the Local’s website www.local1101.org
in the photo gallery.
We know that our contract fight
has to be part of a bigger fight to protect customers’ right to quality service
and high speed internet access for everyone. That’s why CWA, 75 elected
representatives and 16 organizations
filed a petition to the Public Service
Commission calling for an investigation of the impact of deregulation on
the telecom industry.
We’ve stepped up our political
work across the board. Members of the
legislative committee are participating
in political action trainings and meeting with candidates and elected representatives. Throughout the summer
committee members traveled to Albany to lobby representatives on why
Verizon should stop forcing customers
onto wireless, the need to expand the
FiOS build, and the importance of
keeping call center jobs in the U.S.
Our organizing committee is
going full-force. We’re currently bargaining first contracts at our newly
organized shops: Speedwire Communications, Endeavor Communica-
tions, and Cables and Chips. Verizon
Wireless retail workers in Brooklyn
voted to join CWA in June, and our
AT&T Mobility chiefs are talking
with Verizon Wireless workers across
Manhattan and the Bronx about what
it means to be union.
We negotiated a new contract at
Liberty Health with a wage increase
and better language on discipline,
carry-over vacation and sick time, and
promotion pay. We also negotiated a
new contract at the NorthEast Alliance
Federal Credit Union (NEA).
We have lots of members participating and tons of work to do.
We need more members to join the
mobilization, political action, and
organizing campaigns. Contact your
chief steward or call the Local if you’re
interested in joining one of these committees.
Local 1101 and 1109 members supporting VZW workers in Brooklyn at
the Atlantic Mall May 12. For more information and photos see page 9
Page 1 Captions:
August 1, 2014 Mobilization
Top: Vice President Mike Baxter, Business Agent Pete Torres,
Chief Steward Frank Calisi and 1101 members at the West
47 Street garage.
Middle left: Business Agent Val Valentino, Chief Steward
Wayne Poole and 1101 members at King St. garage.
Middle right: President Keith Purce and members at Jerome
Ave garage.
Bottom:Vice President Al Russo, Chief Steward Matt Rivera
and 1101 members at the 18 Street ECS garage.
3
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
Grievance Win
At Verizon
$36,000 DTA
Contract Wins At Liberty Health
In one of the toughest
rounds of contract negotiations yet at Liberty Health
(Arms Acres and Conifer
Park), Vice President Pat
LaScala and Business Agent
Kathy Brindle (in photo
to the right in front of the
Local 1101 Bronx office)
and the rest of the bargaining team won a number
of improvements in the
contract. Wins included
a wage increase of 2.5%
for all members, grade
increases on positions at
each of the facilities and an
increase on charge and preceptor pay.
Members are now able to put 100%
of their unused vacation time and
30 hours of their sick time toward the
following year’s healthcare premiums.
Bereavement leave can now be used
Welcome to 1101 Cables & Chips
Technicians at Cables and Chips,
a Manhattan based cabling and network installation company voted in
June to join CWA Local 1101. The
workers endured a three month long
vicious anti-union campaign by the
employer. The techs wore their red
CWA wristbands and lanyards every
day, took over the company’s captive
audience meetings, and refused to
back down. They voted 8-2 in favor
of the union. Great job!
within 10 days after
a loss instead of 3,
and personal time can
be used in half hours
increments.
Other changes
include time limits
on disciplines and
changes in the contract language that
ensure members receive their meal break
at the midpoint of
their shift. The holiday assignment procedure was changed, and
members accepting
promotions to a higher graded position will be paid equal to or greater
than their current position.
In addition, full-time members
received an extra personal day last
year, and all members received a day’s
pay with a minimum pay-out of 200
dollars in April and May of this year.
Recently, after the completion of the
wage re-opener, a rate increase for
the RN position at Conifer Park was
finalized and took effect on August
1, 2014.
Thanks to Paul Emerich, Chief
Steward at Conifer Park, members
can now keep more informed on Face
Book and get answers to any questions
they may have at:
www.facebook.com/Conifer1101.
Thank you to everyone for giving
to the collections for members out
on medical leave in the past year at
Conifer Park and Arms Acres. The collections totaled more than $1500.00
dollars.
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No Walmart In Our Town
Local 1101 officers, members,
and retirees joined with other unions,
consumer groups, politicians, religious leaders, and community groups
to rally at City Hall June 4 to block
union busting, wage and job destroying Walmart from bribing their way
into New York City with so-called
“education grants.”
Mayor Bill DeBlasio has stated
that Walmart is not welcome in NYC,
and the City Hall rally put bodies behind that boast. For more information
go to http://walmartfreenyc.org/
Local 1101 Supports Fired UPS workers
We joined Teamsters Local 804,
unions and elected officials to protest
United Parcel’s unjust firing of 250
drivers in Masbeth Queens. After an
intense campaign of petitions, phone
calls, rallies and customers supporting
the fired drivers, UPS hired back all
the drivers.
Thanks to all the 1101 members
who signed the on-line petition and
called the UPS CEO Scott Davis in
support of the drivers.
1101 Members and Retirees at IBT
Local 804 Press Conference in front
of New York City Hall
Once again Verizon failed to pay
members the Daily Travel Allowance
they’re owed when they transfer from
one reporting location to another.
Members who were transferred to
West Street and King Street as part of
the FiOS/Core reorganization grieved
and won the travel allowance they’re
due – between $460 and $1150 per
technician. BA Val Valentino with help
from Chief Stewards Pete Ficorelli and
Wayne Poole resolved the grievance at
2nd step.
CWPost/LIU
Bargaining
Update
We are in contract negotiations
at CWPost/LIU. Members are currently working under the old contract.
With a couple of bargaining sessions
remaining, we should have a tentative
agreement soon.
Once there is an agreement, there
will be a membership meeting on
campus to go over the contract and the
ratification. Each adjunct will be notified through their LIU email address of
the date and location.
At that meeting, members who are
eligible for the $1101 from the restructuring of the Local 1101 Retirement
Trust Fund will also get their check.
CWA/Verizon Dependent Care Reimbursement Increased
The weekly reimbursement from the Dependent Care Fund was increased from $50/week to $100/week for child and elder care expenses starting June, 2014. For more information go to www.regionalwfrc.com. If you
applied for summer camp reimbursement, the form is due October 10, 2014.
5
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
Local 1101
10th Annual
Labor for POTS
Softball Tourney &
Family Picnic
Fundraiser
Four softball fields, 24 teams, $20 for
all you can eat and drink, and all
proceeds to POTS to provide for folks
in the middle of hard times. Thanks
to all who volunteered, participated
and donated
Left: Business Agent
Joe Ventola and
daughter. Right:
Business Agent Ken
Beckett, President
Keith Purce and
Vice President Al
Russo
Above: Business
Agent Val Valentino
and Steward Bill
Stefandel
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August 24, 2014
Redmond Field
Yonkers, NY
Above: Rob Henry, President Keith Purce, and
Labor for POTS organizer Ken Spatta. A good
time was had by all!
Above: Can you find Business Agent Ron
Spaulding? (Hint: look for balloons).
Above: Members and retirees
talk politics with Bronx State
Senator and friend of 1101
Gustavo Rivera. Above left:
staff from POTS on Webster
Ave in The Bronx. Left: AT&T
Mobility Chief Stewards Bill
Nebeling and Sarrah Nasser
with Sarrah’s family.
Above: Thanks to 1101 member Bobby Smith
and his family for 10 years of hard work
running the grill at the POTS tournament.
Congratulations to the Winners! Above Left, Division A Champs sponsored
by Local 1106. Above Right, Division B Champs sponsored by Sheas Bar.
7
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
300 Stewards Graduate Training
Supporting Bklyn VZW Workers
We’ve trained 300 new stewards through the Local’s Steward Training Program. In the past few months stewards
from Verizon, AT&T Mobility, and Liberty Health all participated in the training, learning about member and stewards’ rights, grievances, investigatory interviews, and Local 1101 programs.
Local 1101 members joined Local 1109
members to support Verizon Wireless workers
days before the union vote in Brooklyn. VZW
workers voted overwhelmingly to join CWA.
Local 1101 organizers and AT&T Mobility Chief
Stewards are now reaching out to Verizon Wireless workers in Manhattan and the Bronx.
Right: AT&T
Mobility Training
July 9 with VP
Mike Baxter and
Chief Stewards
Laurie Giles and
Tiffany Rosario.
Left: Arms Acres &
Conifer Park June 25
Training with Business
Agent Kathy Brindle
and Chief Stewards Paul
Emerich and Janice Reed.
Above: Local 1101 Chief
Steward Muhammad
Abdulkhabir and 1101
members from Montague
Street AT&T Mobility
came out to support the
VZW workers May 12.
Right: 1109 President
Tony Spina and 1101
Business Agent Val
Valentino with members
across from the VZW
Montague Street store.
Coalition & Collaboration
Survey On Website
Right: AT&T
Mobility Stewards
May 14
Below: Grads
from Verizon
stewards training
May 28, 2014
Local 1101’s Equity and Women’s Committees are conducting a membership survey to identify organizations we can
collaborate more closely with. Many of us belong to these organizations and can help make these connections. This effort is
part of CWA’s national goal of building political and community
support for our union activities, and building coalitions to work
toward economic justice and democracy for all.
Please take a few minutes to fill out the on-line demographic
and coalition building survey. Go to:
www.local1101.org >
Local 1101 Committees >
Equity Committee
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9
Organizing Focus For
Next Labor Studies
Class at Local 1101
The next class Local 1101 is offering,
in partnership with Cornell Labor Studies
Program, is Organizing Issues. A number of
members are working towards completing
the Labor Studies Certificate from Cornell
University.
For information on future classes, contact
Pam Galpern at pgalpern@local1101.org
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
NEW YORK GENERATOR • SEPTEMBER 2014
Local Awards College Scholarships
Picture: Member Steve
Stranzl, whose daughter
Cassidy Stranzl won the
Dennis Diemer scholarship,
receiving a check from
Secretary-Treasurer Kevin
Condy. With VP Mike
Baxter, BA Pete Torres, 47 St
Chief Steward Frank Calisi
and Steward Scott Heid. See
complete list of scholarship
winners below.
Local 1101 has a long-standing and proud tradition
of awarding scholarships to members and their families.
The number of scholarships awarded each year is determined by the Executive Board based on the funds available. This year sixteen new scholarships were awarded.
Congratulations to all!
Dennis Diemer Scholarship Winner: Cassidy
Stranzl (1101 member Steve Stranzl) $1000 each year
in school recurring automatically up to four years. (In
addition to former winners who still receive payments of
their award.)
Ed Dempsey Scholarship Winner: Courtney
Flynn (1101 member: Stephen Flynn) one time payment
of $5000.
1101 Scholarship Winners: $1000 each, listed
alphabetically
Winners / 1101 Member
1. Kenneth Almodovar / Anthony Almodovar
2. Jonathon Camacho / Juan Camacho
3. Robyn J. Case / Robyn L. Case
4. Iain Chalmers / John Chalmers
5. Conrad Fitzpatrik / Conrad Fitzpatrik
6. Joshua A. Floyd / Monica Lopera
7. Amanda Gonzalez / Richard Gonzalez
8. Savannah McManus / Edward McManus
9. Alyssa McNally / John McNally
10. Adrianna Peffers / Joseph Peffers
11. Megan Perfetti / Steven Perfetti
12. Monica Perry / Monica Perry
13. Kayla Rackowski / Steven Rackowski
14. John Yates / Charles K. Yates
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FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA),
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CWA Local 1101
275 Seventh Avenue, 17th Floor
New York, NY
10001
NEW
•• SEPTEMBER
SEPTEMBER
2014
NEW YORK
YORK GENERATOR
GENERATOR
2014
R
I E D P R I N TI NG
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T R A D E S LABEL C OUNCIL
NEW YORK
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August 1 Verizon Contract
Contract Mobilization
MobilizationKick
KickOff
Off
Top: West 26 St members with VP Mike Baxter, BA Pete Torres and Chief Steward Robert Pignatello
Top: West
26 StRandall
members
with VP
Mike Baxter,
Torresand
andChief
ChiefSteward
StewardDave
Robert
Pignatello
Bottom:
Avenue
members
with VPBA
PatPete
LaScala
Noble
Bottom: Randall Avenue members with VP Pat LaScala and Chief Steward Dave Noble