Environmental Hazards Block Access Into Verizon Central Office

PUBLISHED BY LOCAL 2108 COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA
VOLUME XXXIV
NO. 10
OCTOBER 2013
Building 307 in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farms, Beltsville, Md.
Environmental Hazards Block Access Into Verizon Central Office
Perhaps the padlocked doors on the front entrance to this facility are the
dead giveaway that one will be entering at their own risk once the security forces at this U.S. Department of Agriculture facility unlock them and
wish you well.
Building 307, which was abandoned almost 10 years ago, still houses
one resident; a small Verizon central office resides on the first floor, and
serves a number of other buildings on this sprawling campus, we believe
it presents a number of serious health hazards for any technician dispatched to perform work in this remote facility.
While the obvious issues are scary enough, there are possibly even more
issues that are unseen and could present even deadlier consequences.
Building 307, which is estimated to have been constructed in the late
1920’s or early 1930’s, show signs that all of the paint peeling and flaking
form the walls could most likely be lead based. Lead poisoning occurs
when lead builds up in the body, often over a period of months or years.
Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children
under the age of 6 are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can
severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels,
lead poisoning can be fatal. Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated
dust in older buildings are the most common sources of lead poisoning.
Initially, lead poisoning can be hard to detect — even people who seem
healthy can have high blood levels of lead. Signs and symptoms usually
don't appear until dangerous amounts have accumulated. Although children are primarily at risk, lead poisoning is also dangerous for adults.
Signs and symptoms in adults may include:
High blood pressure
Declines in mental functioning
Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
Muscular weakness
Headache
Abdominal pain
Memory loss
Mood disorders
Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm
Miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women
The paint issues are just the tip of the iceberg. The amount of mold present
makes your skin crawl and makes you feel like you are on the set of a horror
movie. This facility is inundated with mold. To date, no testing or air sampling
has been done to determine the type of molds present. Although shower
stalls and basements are typical moist areas prone to the growth of molds,
any moist area can harbor mold. Drywall, ceiling tiles, carpets, furniture,
ductwork, roofing, paneling, wallpaper, and the areas around plumbing pipes
are examples of areas that can become infested by mold if the requisite
growing conditions are present.
Mold can have many different colors and sometimes appears as spots. Additionally, a musty odor may be present. Mold growth may also be hidden under carpeting, on the back side of wallpaper, and behind drywall or paneling.
Allergic reactions to mold are the most common health effects of mold. Allergic reactions may happen immediately or develop after a period
of time following exposure. Both
growing mold and mold spores
may lead to allergic reactions.
Symptoms of mold allergy may
include sneezing, runny nose,
coughing, wheezing, tearing and
redness of the eyes, and skin
irritation or rash. Asthma attacks
may be caused by mold or mold
spores in people who have
asthma and are allergic to mold.
Even in some nonallergic individuals, mold can irritate the
eyes, skin, and airways. For exAlmost every room in this 4 story building is satuample, the "black mold" Stachyrated with black mold from years of damp carpets
botrys, along with some other
due to roof leaks and no preventative maintetypes of mold, produces toxins
nance. Exposure to mold has been linked with
known as mycotoxins that can
numerous respiratory issues and possible long
term exposures can lead to serious infections.
cause irritation of the skin and
airways in susceptible individuals.
In some cases, people may develop severe reactions to mold exposure.
Symptoms of severe reactions, which are uncommon, include fever and difficulty breathing. People with compromised immune systems or those with
chronic lung disease can develop serious infections of the lungs due to
molds.
There are a number of ceiling tiles that have fallen due to water leakages.
Given the building’s age and the widespread use of asbestos products when
this building was constructed, it is feasible that if there is in fact asbestos in
this building, it could have been disturbed and flaking into non-confined areas. Exposure to asbestos has been widely documented and the adverse
health ramifications are at the top of the list when it comes to environmental
hazards.
If products containing asbestos are disturbed, the tiny fibers are released into
the air. When they are breathed in, they can become trapped in the lungs
and stay there for many years. Over time these fibers can accumulate and
lead to serious health problems, including:
Down this hallway to the right is where Verizon maintains a small central office that
serves part of the U.S. Agriculture Farms in Beltsville, Md. Flaking paint chips and an
abundance of dark mold everywhere are only some of the obvious hazards present in
this location.
Asbestosis, an inflammatory condition of lungs that can cause shortness of
breath, coughing, and eventually scarring of the lungs that makes it hard to
breathe.
(Continued on page 3—Hazardous Building)
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA LOCAL 2108
10782 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE BELTSVILLE, MD 20705 PHONE (301) 595-2108
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
EP-OCH n. 1.a. A particular period of history, esp. one considered remarkable or noteworthy.
b. A notable event that marks the
beginning of such a period.
September 18th truly marked an
epoch event. The ribbon cutting
and official launch of the Epoch
Center took place at the Chesapeake Complex in Silver Spring that
day, and I was thrilled to attend as your local president.
2108News
October 2013
Page 2
Epoch Director Tom O’Brien and Manager Danielle Djarosinski have
reached out to the officers and stewards of Local 2108, inviting our
input to help make the center a success. They seem excited and determined to prove that, with proper training and support, unionrepresented Verizon employees in the United States can provide the
customer service experience that business customers demand. Even
though our salaries are higher than the workers in the Philippines and
our office space is more expensive, by solving problems on the first
Why? Verizon has taken work that was previously outsourced
(performed by contractors) and off-shored (to foreign countries like
Tijuana, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Philippines) and brought it to the
Chesapeake Complex to be performed by full-time Verizon employees
who are members of Local 2108!
Currently there are 46 Fiber Customer Support Analysts who are either
still in training or have recently completed training and are performing
work in the Epoch Center. The FCSAs handle High Speed Internet
(HSI) trouble shooting for business customers in Maryland, Virginia and
call and retaining customers because they can’t imagine leaving our
amazing FCSAs to go to a competitor, the Epoch Center (and hopefully others to follow) can actually be more cost-effective than offshored centers.
Welcome to the newest members of Local 2108 who work in the Epoch Center. I look forward to celebrating your success in the future!
In Solidarity,
RMC 2108 Retirees Corner
the District of Columbia presently, but may expand into other states as
they grow. It is anticipated that the work group will be comprised of 65
FCSAs and 8 Central Office Technicians before year’s end.
The premise behind the decision to open this new center is one that
CWA has preached for many years—Corporations should stop taking
the “low road” by opening call centers in foreign countries that notoriously have low wages and little or no worker protections or rights.
These foreign workers are not well trained and their customers do not
receive the level of customer service that they deserve. Often these
customers have to call repeatedly in an attempt to get their problems
addressed, causing so much frustration that many chose to do business with a competitor.
Employers who take the “high road” in labor relations, providing training
and fair working conditions know that a quality workforce is the key
to the quality service that customers want and deserve.
While hiring to fill the FCSA positions, Verizon focused on finding individuals who were very customer service minded. They revamped their
training, putting a high emphasis on giving our business customers a
great customer experience, knowing that can make all the difference in
whether our business customers stay with Verizon or continue to run to
our competitors.
I Know we are all getting tired of watching the
"Kabookie” theater now playing in the halls of the U.S.
Congress, but we retirees have to keep our eye on the
ball .
We know that our Social Security system is the most
RMC 2108
successful anti-poverty program in our country's history.
But this hasn't stopped some austerity addicts from proposing drastic
cuts. A chained CPI would mean that folks who are 65 years old today,
would lose more than $650 a year when they reach 75 and more than
$1,000 a year when they reach 85. The usual suspects in Washington
are threatening to hold the debt ceiling hostage in order to cut our
earned benefits with the Chained CPI cut, which is a fancy way of saying a cut to everyone's benefit for both current and future beneficiaries.
The AFL-CIO hotline number can be used to call [888-659-9401].
They need to hear from us before it is too late !
Now a more pleasant matter that all members will have a chance to
enjoy soon. Janice Crowe will have the RMC Cook Book " Cooking
with Love " dedicated to Kathy Harrison, ready for our December
luncheon meeting to be available for all.
Vice President Joe Cooke will wind up his inquiries about complaints regarding the “Express Scripts " mail order prescription program at our October 09, 2013 meeting at 11:00am . See you there!!
Calvin C Foster Jr
President- RMC 2108
Congratulations to
Recently Retired:
Pak Chow
(Hazardous Building, from page 1)
2108News
October 2013
Page 3
Mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, chest
cavity, or abdomen and Lung cancer.
Other lung problems, including pleural plaques (changes in the membranes surrounding the lungs), thickening of the membranes that surround
the lungs, and pleural effusions (abnormal collections of fluid between the
lungs and the inside wall of the chest.
Most cases of asbestos poisoning occur in asbestos workers; however,
there is some evidence that family members of workers heavily exposed to
asbestos face an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, possibly due
to the exposure of asbestos fibers brought into the home on the clothing,
skin, and hair.
CWA Local 2108 has been in touch with Verizon management regarding
the severity of this issue and was told that the buildings management had
Personals
We wish to extend sincere sympathy to the family and
friends of:
Retiree John R. Morris who died on June 24, 2013.
Donald Franklin Rickets, step-father of retired member Robert
Sickmen, who died on August 19, 2013.
Retiree James Bennett Jr. who died on August 30, 2013.
Theresa Williams, mother of Louise Williams Santiago,
grandmother of Chandra Santiago and grandmother in-law of
Bradford Williams, who died August 30, 2013.
Roland Forbes, father of Chris Forbes who died on September
13, 2013.
Welcome to Local 2108
New Members
Spotty mold on ceilings and walls from years of neglect present serious health hazards
for those who may come in contact with it. Unknown contagions, such as asbestos may
also be lurking.
been informed and were working to find a suitable abatement process,
relocation of all the central office facilities, or possibly creating another
access to the central office and sealing off all contact to the existing building.
Until this situation has been resolved, CWA Local 2108 is advising that
any technician dispatched to this facility to perform ANY work should respectably refuse the job and ask your supervisor for other suitable work.
Your right to refuse to do a task is protected if all of the following conditions are met:
Rocio Leonzo
Christina Vandervort
Sammy Jackson,III
Matthew Fears
Justin Resuta
Joseph A. Lee,Jr.
Doneka Clark
Jonathan Collins
Tyrell Williams
Matthew Garrison
Derrick Jones
Gerald Joyce
Robert L. Davis Jr.
Brandon Carr
Kenneth M. Johnson
Porsche Henry
Jeison Perdome
Henry Adolphe
Stephen Boone
Keyon Bigelow
Trevor Follett
Alana Rivers
Luc Moldoveano
Matthew Williams
Eritrea Thomas
Munirah AbdulHakeem
Ivan Mitchell
David Awkard
Quintoria McCormick
Terae Johnson
Rachael Spencer
Jonvoana Titus
Adabel Marquina
Ryann Bradford
Crepin Nzenguet
Wendi Brown
David Weber
Shanique Davis
Mariuri MoralesFranco
Cynthia Curtis
Dwayne M Hayes
Where possible, you have asked the employer to eliminate the danger,
and the employer failed to do so; and
You refused to work in "good faith." This means that you must genuinely
believe that an imminent danger exists; and
A reasonable person would agree that there is a real danger of death or
serious injury; and
There isn't enough time, due to the urgency of the hazard, to get it corrected through regular enforcement channels, such as requesting an
OSHA inspection.
CWA Local 2108 is also urging all technicians to notify the Local immediately if they are assigned to work in this location so we can deal with the
proper dispatching groups and make sure they don’t try to assign the order
to an another unsuspecting technician.
$100 Health Assessment Credit Clarifications
Due to all the confusion regarding the $100 credit towards the medical
contribution rate for Verizon employees who complete the Health Assessment, CWA and Verizon have agreed that associates who completed the Health Assessment in 2012 or who complete one at any time
in 2013, will receive the $100 Health Assessment credit for plan 2014,
without the need to complete an additional Health Assessment for
2014.
If the Health Assessment has been completed by September 30,
2013, the $100 credit for 2014 will be reflected on the individual’s annual enrollment statement for 2014. If the Health Assessment is completed after September 30, 2013 the associate will receive the $100
credit for plan tear 2014 beginning with the first pay period of 2014.
2108News
October 2013
Page 4
By: Matt Klingman
CWA/USW Safety Conference Provides Solid Base for Local Activists
I recently had the privilege of attending the 2013 Health, Safety and Environment Conference in Pittsburgh. This
conference was a joint effort with our Sisters and Brothers in the United Steelworkers, CWA and the Tony Mazzocchi
Center. 1400 attendees were present from across the USA and Canada. It was an amazing experience to listen to
some of the horrid conditions that were suffered and the triumphs that can be achieved when Union members are
educated and stand together.
Do you experience headaches,fatigue,or eye nose or throat irritation while at work but shortly after you leave they
cease? It may not be Verizonitis, it could be “ Sick Building Syndrome” a condition caused by toxic mold in the workplace. Mold is a very serious issue in all of our workplaces ranging from poorly maintained HVAC systems in company
owned workplaces or in our customer’s crawlspaces and attics.
OK that was the bad news, but here is the good part.... we can demand a safe and healthy working environment if
we work in solidarity. There are tools such as air sampling and visual inspections that are effective for identifying hazards and safety items to protect ourselves and our family.
I would ask any of you who are experiencing symptoms as listed above, (or any other health or safety issue), to
reach out to your stewards or your chief steward to start working toward a resolution.
Other workshops available outlined how local unions can challenge unjust discipline cases resulting from so-called
“zero-tolerance” policies, incident investigations, heat stress, indoor air quality, workplace violence and tools for the
new safety representative.
October is “International Call Center” Month
The Communications Workers of America marks the start of October as “International Call Center” month. CWA will hold
actions throughout the country to recognize the professionalism of our members who work in call centers or in direct customer contact. CWA has more than 100,000 members in all industries and sectors of our union who provide customer support. All locals will get members and call centers involved during the month. We want to recognize the hard work that our
customer service professionals do every day in every industry that we represent.
“Customer service professionals face many stress factors on the job, from monitoring to quotas to difficulties in balancing work and family responsibilities. Employers who take the high road in labor relations, providing training and fair working
conditions, know that a quality workforce is the key to the quality service that customers want,” said CWA Chief of Staff Ron
Collins.
As part of Customer Service Professionals Month this October, CWA will work to build even more support for federal
legislation to limit the off-shoring of call center jobs and eliminate tax advantages now provided by U.S. taxpayers to companies that send work off-shore.
CWA will release an updated report, “Off-Shoring American Call Centers,” and also will release a new report on security
risks that the American public faces as a result of providing credit card, bank account and personal information to representatives in the Philippines and India. Many countries, particularly the Philippines, do not have laws that protect the consumer
from this type fraud.
CWA encourages all of you to get involved in International Call Center Action Month this October. Stand up for the work
CWA members do every day to provide quality service to customers.
OCTOBER 2013
2
2
9
9
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Chief Stewards Meeting - 9:30am
Local Office, Beltsville, MD
Finance Committee Meeting - 4:30pm
Local Office, Beltsville, MD
RMC 2108 Meeting - 11:00am
Local Office, Beltsville, MD
Membership Meeting - 6:00pm
Local Office, Beltsville, MD
Halloween
NOVEMBER 2013
5
11
13
13
18
18--20
28
28--29
Election Day
Veterans Day
Local Office Closed
RMC 2108 Meeting - 11:00am
Local Office, Beltsville, MD
Membership Meeting - 6:00pm
Local Office, Beltsville, MD
District 2/13 Conference
White Sulphur Springs, WV
Thanksgiving Holiday
Local Office Closed
MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
RMC 2108 Meeting - Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 11:00am
Membership Meeting - Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 6:00pm
Local Office: (301) 595-2108 :: Local Fax: (301) 595-2412
Web Address: www.cwalocal2108.org
10782 Rhode Island Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705
Marilyn Irwin - President
Amory Proctor - Executive Vice President
Johnny Brown - Secretary-Treasurer
LaTasha Carpenter - Vice President
Jenny Sylvester - Vice President
Published Monthly
Printing Done In-House
Communications Workers of America Local 2108
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
ISSN: 0162-248X
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA
LOCAL 2108
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Beltsville, MD 20705-2513
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