MOBILIZATION STARTS NOW
Think for one moment of
this scenario: August 3rd (pick any strike year), our
contract is up and we hit the picket lines on the
following Monday morning. You look around and
confidently visualize the massive sea of red consisting
of your Union Brothers and Sisters rallying in unity
outside of your work location.Everyone has come to
support each other, get the latest status on
negotiations, confirm their picket
duty assignment and
commiserate about the greedy corporation we all work
for. All present will have a good idea of the serious
jeopardy our benefits face at the bargaining table. You
can’t help but feel safe though, in spite of the
financial burden you may have to endure as a result of
the strike because you are surrounded by your peers –
your Union Brothers and Sisters. The level of
excitement, determination and
camaraderie is at its
peak. The highly charged emotion is so alive, it spreads
like a positive wildfire, undeniably contagious among
all of our Members. Co-workers who don’t normally
converse find themselves talking to each other. Quiet,
reserved Members become outspoken. Brothers and Sisters
who are good Union Members, but don’t normally get
involved, contribute extra time and volunteer to assume
responsibilities and duties all in the name of unity.
Anyone of us who have ever experienced a strike, or near
strike, against Verizon has felt that energy.
Some Members may be unaware, but
looking towards August 2008, this Local has begun
mobilization efforts to prepare for what may be one of
the most serious strikes in our history. Believe it or
not, success at the bargaining table begins right now.
And it begins with EVERY MEMBER
in this Local,right now. In 2008, the company will look
back over two years and weigh their perception of our
strength – or lack thereof. God help all of us if our
solidarity doesn’t improve immediately. The company will
see a two year history of derisive, selfish, “me first”
agenda Members lacking the unification and motivation to
affect a contract which would protect the benefits we
currently have and compromise proposals on the table
that would potentially add benefits. Do you want to give
the company that advantage? Do you want to undermine the
bargaining power of our officials to negotiate from a
strong and secure place? I know I don’t and I really
don’t think you want that either because we all have a
lot to lose.
Every Member in this
Local shares in the responsibility of success at the
bargaining table. It is not up to the Steward body or
the Executive Board alone. Let’s give our negotiators
the strength necessary for them to protect our job
security, our benefits and our future in 2008. It’s time
to change the complacency and sense of entitlement that
has begun to poison our workforce. Make a commitment to
yourself, your family, and your Brothers and Sisters to
affirm the power that will protect the investment we
have made for our future.
We cannot wait until
the summer of 2008 to mobilize. We must start protecting
our contract and benefits now by showing our solidarity
and commitment to the company every day starting today
and there are several very easy changes that will
improve our tenacity and spirit.
1) Wear RED on Thursdays.
Huge visual for management. Nothing indicates our
solidarity to management than RED on Thursdays. Let’s
say four Members in your workplace consistently do not
wear RED. Guess What? Your fault. Not the Steward body.
Yours! YOU let them get away with it! Make that
dissenter feel it. If every Member at your work location
said one thing to that naysayer every week,
you’d be doing your job,
pulling your weight and making a difference, even if
that Member never puts on RED.
2) Enough with the
Chirping.
Observing the behavior some Members exhibit, one would
think that management has the Members best interest at
heart. Members who complain about how their co-workers
as a whole or a specific Member is not performing their
jobs properly to a manager is intolerable. Do we need to
be reminded that this company runs by accident and that
unmotivated managers, lack of tools/time and nonexistent
training, point to the reasons why jobs may not be
completed to customer satisfaction? Disparaging a fellow
Union Member to a manager
is unacceptable. It is our duty to admonish such a
Member in private should we witness this behavior.
3) Ass kissing commands
the same amount in the paycheck as your fellow Members.
Running does not put
anymore money in a paycheck. And contrary to what some
may believe,it does not provide job security. Giving the
company a fair and honest day by satisfying the customer
(even if it takes the better part of the day) is what
will absolutely secure the future of our paychecks.
Remind that overzealous Member of this. Remember, your
obligation is to go home safe and sound to your family
each day.
4)Teach our junior
Members.
We are a Union and we are a team. Some junior Members
don’t get it, through no fault of their own. All of us
with 15 or more years have been remiss in our duty to
raise good Union Members. The older guys showed us what
time it was and then held us accountable. It’s past time
for us to return the favor.
5)Attend garage and
General Membership meetings.
It’s the same active and concerned Members every time
who attend both types of meetings. If I see that, I can
assure you that management does as well. Fifteen minutes
of your personal time once or twice a month given to a
garage meeting provides three things – you become more
informed on current issues, you are part of a unified
statement made to local management, and Oh!, that’s
right, you’re helping to protect your future paycheck!!!
There are very few good excuses not to attend a General
Membership meeting. Most of you probably don’t know that
the meeting format has changed. So consider yourself on
notice. The next meeting is in March in Brewster and
starts at 5:30 now. If you’re Southern – it’s your turn
to travel, so hook up with friends,have dinner, then go.
There is always an open mike where freedom of speech is
both welcomed and respected.
6)Don’t blame the Union.
Please remember, the Local works hard to protect our
interests. The Union reacts then tries to remedy
situations when the company implements practices that
violate our contract or institutes, for example,
excessive temporary transfers that may compromise our
quality of work/home life. Listening to fellow Members
complaining about management’s consistently incompetent
decisions that affect both us and our customers in an
adverse way, and the anger and frustration is sometimes
directed at the Union.
You hear it on the shop
floor more and more frequently. And that means
management hears it as well.Channel that anger in the
direction it belongs – at Verizon!
Support our Union’s efforts to change!
Verizon’s sometimes ridiculous practices by voicing your
frustration to the managers. Remember that the Union, in
these instances, is spinning damage control after the
fact – after management had ignored the Union’s advice
and made that bad decision anyway. If you’re going to
get mad, use that energy to write up the issue, give it
to your Steward for a grievance, a quick meeting with
management or a call to your E. Board member for an
instant resolution, depending on the severity of the
problem.
7)Overtime.
It’s absolutely okay to work O.T. because we all could
use the extra money; but there are some situations when
we shouldn’t. One of those times is when we make a
commitment to our Union tobe somewhere where we are
needed for a mobilization effort, and after that
commitment is made, overtime suddenly becomes available.
When we made that commitment to the Union, we were
counted on to be there in order for our effort to
succeed. Leaving the Union in the lurch by working
overtime could cause it to fail and hurt our job
security. And speaking of job security, we should spend
time going to Town Board meetings stressing the need for
our products and services to the public; and we should
get behind those worker-friendly political candidates
that our Union has endorsed because like mobilization
which protects our contract and benefits, they also can
exert a positive influence on our way of life.
Implementing these few changes will be owning up to our
responsibility as Members of the Union.It will help to
unify us and give our officials the power they need when
they are at the bargaining table fighting for our jobs.
Should we have to hit the street in ’08, we will need
to have the enthusiasm, loyalty and unity I prefaced
these remarks with last month, and that my Brothers and
Sisters, will all but guarantee us a win!
Submitted by
an
ANONYMOUS
1103 Member
