Danny Alfonso

Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to start off by thanking each of our safety advocates who are on the joint IBEW/Verizon safety committee.  I am both honored and humbled to be part of a committee which has had such a positive affect on our fellow co workers.  Because of our advocates and their commitment to the Safety committee we have drastically improved our safety results in just 2 short years.  These results are not just numbers and percentages.  In reality, they represent the fact that more of our fellow co workers went home safely in 2011 thanks to them.  We will be discussing our accomplishments in detail during our first quarter meeting which will be on Wednesday March 28th.  Also during that meeting we will be discussing upcoming safety rodeos which will be held in the Tampa north and Eastern areas this year.  I would ask that we continue to focus on safety every day with the ultimate goal that EVERY ONE GOES HOME SAFE.

One of the things our safety committee was successful in getting done over the past year was a video on attic safety.  Our very own Noah Kaaa, starred in the video.  The videos should start showing up in the work centers within the next few weeks.  I would like to thank Noah for his commitment to safety and to our safety committee.

In southern division, things have started to settle down for Fnft’s.  In the last few weeks, mandatory overtime and required lay days have eased up considerably.  As for copper, the work is still steady but the use of required overtime has not been an issue.

Unfortunately, in the FSC our CSA’s are still on mandated 2 hours of overtime on a daily basis.  We were successful for a few weeks of getting some relief on the 2 hour mandate.  Perry Sidelinger (FSC chief steward) and I are still working on trying to get some relief on the weekend coverage and the mandated overtime. We will keep you informed on the progress.

Please Work Safely,

Danny

Brothers and Sisters,

 In the month of November, safety meetings were held in both inside and outside plant.  The main topic of discussion for inside plant was the successful fire drill which was held in the EAX building.  The building was completely evacuated and everyone accounted for in seven minutes.  This was a big accomplishment!  These fire drills are necessary to insure that everyone knows the safest and fastest way out of the building. As with any drill, a few issues were made apparent and have been corrected in the event of an actual emergency.  I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation.

The outside plant safety meeting primarily focused on vehicle accidents and how to prevent them.  Since July there have been 9 accidents in which fixed objects were hit. The committee looked closely at each accident and concluded that we need to refocus on making sure we perform a circle check before the vehicle is moved.  Also since July there have been 8 accidents in which an impact occurred with other vehicles.  Two of the accidents were very concerning and involved 2 buses which were rear ended.  In both cases, prior to the accident, the drivers reported the brake issues to fleet but did not get the issue corrected and continued to drive the vehicle.  The other 6 accidents were either caused by following too closely or not paying attention.  The safety committee makes the following recommendations-

·      Perform vehicle safety inspection routinely

·      Pay attention to surroundings (traffic conditions, school buses, children present, weather conditions)

·      Avoid distractions- cell phones/ laptops while driving

·      Always use the 3 second rule.

Please do not drive an unsafe vehicle for any reason.

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New year!!

In Solidarity,

Danny Alfonso

Brothers and Sisters,

   I would like to thank everyone for electing me to be a delegate to represent our local at the 38^th International Convention, which was held last month.  With the assault on unions from the national press, it was a great feeling to stand side by side with brothers and sisters from across the US and Canada.  Each delegate present committed that we will not be the generation that allowed the assault to continue on the working class Americans.  As brothers and sisters, we are in the fight of our lives to save the middle class for future generations.  Every member has an opportunity and obligation to get our positive word out to the public.  We don’t need to spend money to take out ads in our local newspapers or take time from our families.  All I would ask is, as we go about our busy lives that we share with family, friends or anyone we come in contact with, that we are the “union”.  When people hear the word “union” unfortunately there is usually a negative connotation associated.  Our friends and family, who know us personally, need to understand that we are fighting for a better way of life for them as well.  Something else that does not cost time or money is to wear your union t-shirt to your child’s sporting events so people will put a face with the word “union” and, if you have the opportunity, explain what it means to you to be a “union” member.

  If you are a sportsman or sportswoman you have the opportunity for a lifetime membership in The Union Sportsmen Alliance free of charge.  “The mission of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance is to unite the Union community to expand and improve hunting and fishing access and wildlife habitat throughout North America”.   USA member benefits:

·      4 issues per year of The Union Sportsmen’s Journal

·      1-year MyTopo.com online mapping subscription

·      Monthly e-newsletter with tips and special offers

·      Money-saving discounts on outdoor gear and services

·      Chances to win fantastic prizes and trips all year

·      Access to “Members-Only” section of the USA website

On Thursday nights at 8pm on the Sportsman Channel, the USA has a show called Brotherhood Outdoors.  The website to join is www.unionsportsmen.org

Lastly, a Verizon Wellness Fair will be taking place on October 11^th and October 12th from 11:00AM - 2:00PM at the following locations.

October 11th: 610 Morgan St. Cafeteria

October 12th: 610 Zack St. Lobby Area

East West Conference Room

610 Morgan St. 9:00 AM - 11:00AM on the 11th and 12th.

A representative from Human Tech, who is an Ergonomic Expert, will have an Ergonomic Booth Set up. Please take the opportunity to stop by if at all possible.

In Solidarity,

Danny

Brothers and Sisters,

The month of September brings many changes in Area managers.  In the FSC, Aaron Stinson will be taking over for Jaime Rawls. In the Southern division the company has split the area manager responsibilities.  Bradenton Fios and copper repair will be under the direction of Cheryl Fields.  Sarasota and Venice will be under the direction of Eric Moran.  Mark Hoke will be over the air pressure and Buried Service Wire Group.  With these changes, keep in mind the contract is explicit concerning each division. The Southern Division is defined as the following exchanges- Bradenton, Englewood, Myakka City, North Port, Palmetto, Sarasota and Venice. Management does have the right to have an area manager over 2 Divisions but they can not circumvent the contract where the division is defined.  The bottom line is Bradenton will continue to be part of the southern division. 

With regards to safety please remember this famous quote by Aristotle-

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

We need to strive for Excellence and make sure safety “is not an act but a habit”

In Solidarity,

Danny Alfonso

Brothers and Sisters,

In the month of May Safety meetings were held for both the Inside Plant and Outside Plant.  In attendance for both meetings were Jean Agostinelli, Director of Corporate Workplace Safety & Compliance, and Susan Balint, Regional Safety Director.  The main topics of discussion for the Inside Plant were- fire drill evacuations and ergonomics.  An ergonomics training class for the safety advocates is being put together and should take place in the near future.  Once the dates are set I will be contacting the safety advocates to find out who is interested in going through the training.  A fire drill, with a complete evacuation of the building, will also be conducted within the next few weeks at locations which have not had a fire drill recently.  These fire drills are designed to ensure that everyone knows the safest way to exit the building and to make sure once outside everyone knows where to go in order to verify everyone made it out of the building safely.  This will also ensure that the safety advocates are familiar with their responsibilities in order for a safe and effective evacuation.

In the Outside Plant meeting the main topics of discussion were Packet 6- verifying everyone has one, RF meters have been ordered for the CMG department, an explanation of hard hat inspections and lastly, heat related disorders.  An attic training video was created with the assistance or our local’s Vice President, Wendell Greenhalgh, and executive board member, Noah Kaaa.  The video will be distributed within the next few weeks.  I would like to thank Noah and Wendell for their assistance in the filming of this video.

As we head into summer months please remember to drink plenty of fluids to avoid heat related disorders.  The National Safety Council recommends, when you work outside, that you drink at least 8 ounces of water every hour while working outside.  If you have any questions concerning the symptoms of heat related disorders please call me.

In Solidarity,

   Danny

Brothers and Sisters,

In March, the joint Union and Company Safety committees both held meetings to address safety issues in their respective areas.  For Inside Plant, most of the discussion was concerning fire drills and making sure everyone knows the proper procedure for evacuating the building.  Your Union safety advocate will be assisting with the evacuation.  Another issue that was addressed was the removal of the dark tint that was placed on the front doors of the Eax building.  This was a safety concern for anyone exiting the building after dark, since you could not see out the door prior to exiting the building.  The tint on the windows was removed on March 17.

At the Outside Plant safety meeting, a power point presentation on distracted driving and the dangers associated with it was explained.

This month, several safety issues we have been working on will be addressed.  The safety committee has been requesting formal training for attic safety and our very own OSP safety advocate and Executive Board member, Noah Kaaa, will be assisting in the filming of an attic safety training video that will be shown to all FNFT’s.  Another issue that has come from our MDU group is the need for ladder stabilizers when working on the side of 2 story buildings.  These stabilizers will be issued for a pilot program to be tested this month as well.  

If you are not sure of who your safety advocate for your department is please call me so I can put you in contact with your advocate.

The month of March also brought some changes in the FNFT work group in Southern division.  There were FNFT’s who live in Brandon, Plant City, Haines City and Bartow who have been working in Southern Division for the last 5 years.  These guys have been trying to get moved to Tampa so they could be closer to home.  A canvass of volunteers from the cable splicer work group was done and 17 Cable Splicers volunteered to go to the FNFT work group.  This is allowing everyone who wanted to transfer to Tampa the opportunity to go.  With that said, I would like to say it was a pleasure working with everyone who is leaving Southern division and I am happy you are finally getting to work closer to home.  I know the Tampa area is getting some great techs.

In Solidarity,

Danny Alfonso

Brothers and Sisters,

As we begin the new year I would ask that if you have not made a new year resolution, as of yet, that we all would all commit this year to working safely.  Whether you work in Inside Plant or Outside there are a few simple things we can do to ensure our safety.

For Inside Plant, please make sure your work station is set up to meet the ergonomic criteria. There is a simple formula that figures the correct height adjustment for your chair, keyboard and monitor.

The benefits of ergonomics are:

• Reduced irritated swelling of the tendons in your wrists (Carpel Tunnel Syndrome)
• Uneven forces in the lower back are removed when sitting in a non-neutral position.
• Neck strains of the neck are removed when your monitor is at the correct height.
• Eye strains are lessoned when the monitor is the correct distance away.

If you need assistance in verifying your work station is an ergonomic correct manner please contact your safety advocate or you can always contact me.

For Outside Plant there are several safety practices that need to be done.

On a daily basis please perform the following:

• Check vehicle lights
• Stretch prior to getting in your vehicle.
• Tape Batteries for BBU (FNFT)

On a weekly basis:

• Check all fluid levels of your vehicle

On a monthly basis:

• Verify all PPE equipment has not expired and is working properly
• Check tire pressure in your vehicle.

Remember the goal is to make sure everyone goes home safe.

In Solidarity,

Danny

Brothers and Sisters,

      In November we had a Safety Rodeo in the Western and Northwestern divisions.  I would like to thank the following safety advocates who made the Safety Rodeo such a great success:

 Manhole safety- Jim Emminger

 Ladder safety- John Riddlebarger and Pete Hilton

 Electrical safety- Art Brake

 Attic safety- Noah Kaaa and Felipe Arocho

 RWS backing safety- Ted Snyder

 Grill team- Chris Fasting, Jason Dedrick, John Glover, Frank Molina, Chris Hurley and   Wayne Higgs.

    Also at the rodeo Jean Agostinelli, Director of workplace safety and environmental compliance, was in attendance for all three days of the Rodeo.  At the conclusion of the Rodeo, I had the opportunity to address some of the concerns that we have been discussing at the joint Safety Committee meetings. Some of the concerns that were addressed are as follows:

  Carbon Monoxide gas detector (manhole safety)

  Fire extinguishers (for vehicles that have acetylene, map gas or generators)

  Ladder Stabilizers (for extension ladder when used up against a 2 story building)

  Asbestos training (formal training)

  Attic Safety (formal training)

  Gas powered chain saw (line crew)

   As soon as I have an update I will notify the safety committee.

   I would like to thank all of our safety advocates for their help in making Verizon a safer place to work. We have made great strides this year and I hope we continue to build on this success next year.

 I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

   In Solidarity,

   Danny Alfonso

Brothers and Sisters,

   In the month of May I had the opportunity of attending the IBEW safety caucus with Felicia Archie and Noah Kaaa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In case you were wondering, it was just as hot and humid there as it is here. Felicia and Noah have both volunteered to work on our union safety committee.

     This was a 2-day caucus, which was kicked off by Kristine Sexter who spoke on the generational differences in the workplace. This was a very informative discussion to help understand why each generation thinks, reacts and communicates the way they do. Understanding these differences is applicable in everything from safety to simply communicating across those generation gaps.

   Next up was Lou Boulanger who explained the use of a job hazard analysis. We will be discussing this in more detail with our joint union/company safety committee. The short version of a job hazard analysis is a mindset. If we are aware of everything that can go wrong we will diminish the possibility of being injured.

   Carl Potter continued the caucus with the theme that “NOBODY GETS HURT”. This should be the goal for us all. There were 2 specific things that we all should be able to do. The first was that we all commit to wearing seatbelts. Not only is it mandatory if you drive a company vehicle but it is a federal law. In his words, it is hard for a steward to file a grievance for someone who gets written up for not wearing a seatbelt when it is violation of the law. The second thing was backing accidents. Please make sure before you put the vehicle in reverse that there is nothing behind you.

   The last speaker at the conference was David Wald. He was with OSHA and spoke on recording keeping and inspections. He stressed the importance of reporting and injuries, fatalities or work related illnesses. Unfortunately, every day in this country alone, 14 workers die in workplace preventable accidents. That is almost 100 workers per week. That was an eye opener for me and hopefully for you as well.

     For outside plant we have a joint union/company safety meeting scheduled for June 16^th.  If you have a safety issue that needs to be addressed at this meeting please call or email me as soon as possible so we can get it on the agenda. As for inside plant, I am still trying to get a date set for last months meeting which had to be postponed. As soon as it is set I will be contacting the inside plant committee.

  In Solidarity,

      Danny

Brothers and Sisters,

     The month of April was busy but productive. In the FSC, a meeting was held concerning the Dispatch Out checklist. The issue was with the last statement where it was asking for an electronic signature that stated you have answered the questions to the best of your knowledge “truthfully”. The problem was that in order for some tickets to be dispatched out our FSC reps had to lie on the checklist in order to get the ticket dispatched out to our FNFT’s. After some discussion with management, this statement has been removed completely from the DO checklist. With that said, please be sure to follow proper procedures on the checklist to ensure the highest quality service for each customer.

  Also in April another outside plant safety meeting was held. This meeting unfortunately started with a review of preventable accidents. Most of the vehicle accidents were from following too closely. Please remember to use the 3 second rule while driving. The other vehicle accidents were hitting fixed objects and backing accidents. Doing a circle check before moving the vehicle could possibly have prevented these accidents. In order to prevent damage to the ladder racks on your van, do not use the drive through windows at any restaurants. This is a new company policy. Please visit the safety tab from our home page for any new safety updates. If you have any safety concerns, please contact me so we can get it addressed at the next safety meeting. There was an inside plant safety meeting that was scheduled for May but had to be postponed due to a scheduling conflict with Kevin Cantero. I will inform our safety advocates as soon as this is rescheduled.

    In the VPSC things are going really well. That department has done a great job of not only keeping their work, but has actually taken additional work in from other states. Their goal is to be a national center. The good news is that through their hard work, there are 12 new positions up for bid in the VPSC. These jobs include Business Response Specialist (7openings) and Design Technician (5 openings). The bid will close on May 13 2009, so if you are interested, please go on line to apply. Great job! Keep up the good work.

  In solidarity,

    Danny