***(AFSCME stands for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) The information below was sent to all local unions in the West Central Florida region.  If you are off on Tuesday, please consider attending with an IBEW 824 shirt or hat.***

Sisters and Brothers,

I am writing to ask for your support for AFSCME Local 3342, University of
South Florida.  Over the past several months, our brothers and sisters at
USF have been fighting through contract negotiation impasse, fighting for a
collective bargaining agreement that recognizes the hard work of USF
blue-collar and clerical workers and that gives those employees the respect
that they deserve.

On Tuesday, March 9th, these proceedings will come to a peak, when the USF
Board of Trustees will deliberate and ultimately adopt this past year's
collective bargaining agreement.  The proceedings will take place at the
University of South Florida in Tampa, FL from 8:00am - 10:00am at C.W. Bill
Young Hall.

Please come and stand behind your brothers and sisters in this fight.

In Solidarity,

Marc A. Sugerman
AFSCME Council 79

We were hoping that we did not have any surplus announcements for the 1^st quarter, but we received notification this morning that we would have a surplus of 1 General Clerk, located in a Tampa Verizon Plus store.

The 5 General Clerks in the Verizon Plus stores, located in Tampa, will be notified today and the package will be mailed on March 1^st, 2010.  The Election period opens on March 5^th and closes on March 18^th, with a separation date of March 27^th, 2010. 

On Wednesday, March 24^th, we posted on the website 10 new job openings in Wage Schedule A, Design Technician.  Today, we agreed to upgrade the 7 Business Response Generalist in the Tampa MCO (Wage Schedule C1), to Business Response Specialists (Wage Schedule A) upon successful completion of all applicable testing.  In addition, there will be 7 more Specialist positions put up for bid. 

Final results for the 1^st quarter will show 1 General Clerk surplus. On the positive side, we will add 24 new wage schedule A positions and 5 new wage schedule E positions.  Members who were in the bumping process from the announced 4th quarter surplus filled the 5 wage schedule E positions.  By using the 5 E wage schedule positions, 5 other members did not have to be bumped into other positions. 

We are reviewing all the bumps that originated from the 4th quarter (2009) surplus to see if any corrections need to be made.  We will update the website shortly afterwards.

The GTE Federal Credit Union has been a customer of GTE/Verizon for many, many years with our BZT I's installing and maintaining their equipment.  Recently, the GTEFCU has switched all of their data services and a large part of their voice services from Verizon to BrightHouse.  Many members have called the Union Hall to express their concerns over this move.  As you may or may not have known, IBEW 824 has several accounts with the GTEFCU, but we are actively reviewing other financial institutions (that use Verizon services and utilize our members skills) to transfer our accounts and will do so in the very near future.

Also, many members have notified us that they intend to relocate their personal accounts to another financial institution as well.  We would ask any member that intends to do this to verify that your new bank/credit union is a Verizon customer.

Due to receiving more work, there are 10 Design Technician (wage schedule A) positions open and they are posted on Verizon's site for bidding.  There was also 5 Business Response Rep (wage schedule E) openings, which were offered to employees who were in a surplus condition.  Check Verizon's website to see if this position is still available for bid if you are interested.

United Healthcare is no longer the administer of our hearing aid benefits.  Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield is the new administer and they can be reached at 866.832.1229 for assistance.

We were notified this morning that th 2009 TPA payout would come on the first payday in March, which is the 5th.  We should have the results for each workgroup later in the week.

Unions, Management Look to Bolster FairPoint’s Recovery

February 8, 2010

Following months of tense negotiations, FairPoint’s labor unions and management have come to an agreement to help the bankrupt company bounce back by increasing cooperation, restructuring wages and extending the contract with workers for another year, pending ratification by IBEW members.

The plan to revive the ailing company establishes a Joint Committee for Operational Savings that will “pursue all ideas to reduce costs, improve revenue and increase productivity,” the company states in memos released this week. The current contracts will be extended an additional year for IBEW members at Manchester, N.H., Local 2320; Montpelier, Vt., Local 2326; and Augusta, Maine, Local 2327. This year’s general wage increase is deferred until 2014, the last year of the contract.

“Although FairPoint’s financial and operational problems had nothing to do with our wages or working conditions, once again we’ve gone the extra mile to help FairPoint get back on its feet,” said Pete McLaughlin, chairman of IBEW System Council T-9 and business manager of Local 2327. “Our goals were not only to protect our members but to restore financial and operational stability, improve service to customers and expand broadband availability.”

The company’s financial woes were compounded by an inability to deliver quality customer service in the wake of the Verizon sale. FairPoint couldn’t replicate the intricate computer systems and tricky work processes that made Verizon successful in New England, contributing to a Chapter 11 filing last October.

Solis Says Unions Benefit Workers

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, in a Jan. 22 statement, said the latest report makes clear why the Obama administration supports passage of the proposed Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 1409, S. 560).

The bill would amend the National Labor Relations Act to give workers the option to choose union representation by signing union authorization cards and also includes language providing for binding arbitration of first contracts and increasing penalties for employers that unlawfully discharge or discriminate against employees during organizing drives.

Solis cited the report's figures showing that union-represented workers have higher earnings than those not represented. She said that “coupled with data showing that union members have access to better health care, retirement and leave benefits, these numbers make it clear that union jobs are good jobs.”

In 2009, union-represented wage and salary workers usually earned about 21 percent more per week than those who were unrepresented, in both the private sector ($845 versus $697) and government ($943 versus $782), BLS said.

“As workers across the country have seen their real and nominal wages decline as a result of the recession, these numbers show a need for Congress to pass legislation to level the playing field to enable more American workers to access the benefits of union membership,” Solis said.

“This is about what's happening to real wage earners across the country, not just unions or union membership,” AFL-CIO President Trumka said.

In response to Solis' statement, Republicans in Congress who oppose the legislation criticized the administration's approach.

“[T]he Obama Administration continues to use America's troubled economy and the ongoing plight of American workers to promote the wishes of their special interest allies,” said Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), a member of the Education and Labor Committee.

EFCA “remains a threat to job creation, and it would be irresponsible for Washington Democrats to pursue this policy,” Kline said.

Kline and other Republican committee members Jan. 20 held a forum where speakers argued that the administration's favoritism toward unions has stalled economic recovery by causing investors to withhold capital that could fund new jobs as they anticipate higher taxes and more stringent government regulations.

Your non-monetary donations will be sent to the Haitian Association and will be transported via military transport to Haiti and distributed to the proper relief organizations.  Chad Bolen, a member in Tampa North is serving as a collector of donations and will take all donated items to the distributor.  If you would like to donate, you can contact the Union Hall or contact the numbers below and we will make arrangements to collect from different work locations throughout our areas.  Below is a list of items that are needed most.

MEDICAL ITEMS - bandages, gauze, gloves, masks, tylenol, aspirin, antibacterial soap, eye wash, hand sanitizer, peroxide, first aid kits, and antibiotic ointment for children and adults.

PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS - soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, sanitary pads, diapers, baby wipes, underwear (unused) for men/women and children, and deodorant.

OUTDOOR ITEMS - tents, tarps, canvas, umbrellas, ponchos, linens, clean shoes & clothing, disposable grills, candles, lighters, matches, bug repellant, flashlights, batteries, battery radios.

FOOD - non-perishable food, baby food, baby formula, powdered milk, peanut butter, crackers, energy bars, pedialyte, gatorade powder, rice, corn, beans.

Contact Info:
Chad Bolen          cell - 813.380.0686       email - chadbolenhotmail [dot] com
Michelle Bolen      cell - 813.789.2779       email - mbonnard0908hotmail [dot] com