Posted on CWA Local's 1103 Facebook page April 3:
CWA LOCAL 1103
April 3 at 6:04pm ·
Updated Union Tape
Saturday, April 2, 6:30 pm. All Verizon members should be on high alert for a strike. Yesterday, at the Rye Town Hilton, the Union met with the company and delivered an "off the record "document which made hard to swallow but significant movement, and met the two critical needs that were identified by Verizon at high level meetings. In an email yesterday, Verizon’s Minister of Propaganda, Marc Reed, delivered his latest if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it missive, and said, "issues have been narrowed but significant differences between us remain. There is still substantial work for the parties to do at at the bargaining table on all issues."
So now the facts: the facts are that YES issues have been narrowed, but that is only because the union has moved and met the critical issues that the company identified. YES, there is substantial work to do, but since the company has not met any of our critical needs which we have identified, it is their responsibility ONLY to get to work. The company was told in very clear terms yesterday that they have done a tremendous job of shaking the tree to see what they can get, but there is no more fruit to collect, their basket is full and there is nothing left to grab. We are done. We have met their critical need in health care and met their critical need to have some flexibility to address true surplus conditions. We told them our expectation is that when they come back they must meet our needs and take all the garbage off the table. We told them we do not want to strike, but we are ready to strike and our members are ready to strike. We have done our due diligence, we have met our responsibility to our membership and have bargained in good faith, and we have made significant movement and have not been obstinate, unreasonable or arrogant. That distinction goes to Verizon only, who had no right asking for concessions in the first place. We are done. There is nothing left to give.
Kevin Sheil
President