About the Verizon strike
Alliance@IBM has received many questions about strikes, probably due to the publicity
surrounding the strike against Verizon (which was formed this summer due to the merger
of Bell Atlantic and GTE Corporation; Verizon is now the local phone company serving
many IBMers living along the east coast). Since Alliance@IBM is affiliated with the
Communications Workers of America, which represents the majority of the striking
workers, we want to make sure you are informed about these issues.
Q: Who is or was on strike?
A: Approximately 86,000 Verizon workers; of these, 72,000 are represented by the
Communications Workers of America, and 14,000 are represented by the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. All were employees of Bell Atlantic prior to the
merger and are located from Maine to Virginia. (In total, Verizon employs about
260,000 people.) On August 21, settlements were reached for about half of the CWA
members (in the New York and New England region), with about 35,000 still on strike
(in the mid-Atlantic region) as of August 23.
Q: Who decided to strike?
A: As per the CWA constitution, there is a multi-step process leading up to a decision to
strike:
1.
The first step was a strike authorization vote by the members who went on strike;
in late July, they voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. (Over 95% of the
members voted to authorize the strike.)
2.
Next, the CWA Executive Board voted to authorize the strike.
3.
Finally, when the strike deadline was reached without a contract being negotiated,
the CWA President (Morton Bahr) called the strike.
This process insures that the members who may be striking control whether or not they
want to strike, and that the full union membership is behind them before a strike takes
place.
Q: Why did they strike?
A: Verizon employees are facing many of the same issues facing IBMers in dealing
with their company. However, since they are organized, they have the right to insist that
their company negotiate hours, wages, and conditions of employment, resulting in a
legally-binding contract. The law also grants them the right to strike to obtain a
satisfactory contract if the company will not negotiate a contract acceptable to them.
(See below for more details about the issues which resulted in the strike; notice the
similarities with the ones affecting us at IBM!)
Q: If I join a union, will I have to strike?
A: A strike is considered a “last ditch” effort -- one should only be called when the
company refuses to negotiate a contract which meets the needs of the represented
workers. We would certainly hope that IBM would negotiate “in good faith” and a strike
would never be necessary. As stated above, if it ever gets to that point, the members
make the call as to whether or not a strike should be called.
Q: What can I do next?
A: If you would like to protect your wages and benefits, join Alliance@IBM!
Here is a summary of CWA's major bargaining issues and results from the 8/21/2000
settlement (for the members in the New York-New England area)..
Improvements in wages and retirement security
Last year, each Bell Atlantic employee generated about $32,700 in net profits–the dollars that go to the
company after all operating costs, including wages and benefits, have been paid. That's an increase of more
than 25 percent in two years. The productivity of Bell Atlantic employees continues to grow and is up 10.6
percent in terms of revenue per employee. That's twice the national average. CWA is calling for workers to
receive increased wages and pension benefits to benefit from their contributions to the company’s success.
CWA also is calling for improved pensions and improved benefits for surviving spouses.
Results: All CWA-represented employees will receive base pay increases of 12.5% and pension
increases of 14.7% over the 3-year life of the contract. (Customer service representatives will receive an
additional 4% pay increase.) All union-represented Verizon employees will receive stock options from the
company. A team-based incentive program will provide bonuses of up to 10% of base pay for members of
teams which meet service and performance objectives established by their business unit. Survivor benefits
will be improved; the cap on reimbursement for adoption expenses will rise from $5,000 to $10,000; the
age limit for dependent medical expenses will be raised from 23 to 25 for full-time students; and medical
and dental coverage will be enhanced.
Job security/Subcontracting
CWA wants limitations on the movement of work as Bell Atlantic consolidates its merger with GTE. This
would extend the assurances the union won in earlier negotiations when Bell Atlantic merged with Nynex.
CWA is also fighting for real, enforceable limits on subcontracting. Far from using subcontracting to give it
flexibility to handle booming business needs from time to time, Verizon's subcontracting of work is
widespread and constant. Ironically, excessive subcontracting of work is jeopardizing customer service
quality and the company’s move into the high-speed Internet market.
The union is also seeking protections and guarantees against job cuts or forced transfers that result from the
GTE-Bell Atlantic merger. It is also seeking greater opportunities for employees as the company moves
more aggressively into wireless and other new job areas.
CWA is seeking to bolster organizing rights for the company's growing and non-union wireless operation.
CWA's goal is to help raise job standards for these workers and increase the opportunity for workers
through Verizon to be able to transfer into new areas of the company. Verizon Wireless is the only major
wireless operation in the telecommunications industry where such organizing rights language hasn't yet
been negotiated.
Results: Union-represented employees will be given greater access to work assignments in emerging
“growth” areas, such as Verizon’s Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) subsidiary. Specific contract provisions
regarding job security -- protecting union-represented workers in cases of layoffs, downgrades, and
relocations -- will be continued. CWA will be able to organize units of Verizon Wireless in the geography
covered by the contract by a simple “card-check” mechanism instead of requiring a full union certification
election (making it easier for union members to transfer there).
Eliminating needless job stress
Verizon hasn't hired and trained enough employees to meet the growing demand for new products and
services. Instead, it has imposed relentless forced overtime on many workers. These job conditions and
inflexible scheduling and restrictions on days off make it next to impossible for many workers to take
vacations or meet family responsibilities. In the call centers, customer service reps face continual speedups,
which has contributed to extreme levels of job stress. CWA has made the elimination of such workplace
conditions a key bargaining goal.
Results: A series of specific measures to better balance employee’s needs, and establishment of a joint
company-union Stress Relief Committee empowered to address continuing workload balance issues. The
company will increase its funding of work-life balance programs by $18.6 million (10%) over the life of
the contract..