Unit 4
AVP Mariano Godoy
May 22, 2015
Dear Brothers and
Sisters:
February 2, 2015
NOTICE!!!!!
UNIT 4
MEETING
AREA VICE
PRESIDENT: Mariano Godoy
There will be a
Unit 4 meeting held
If for some reason you are unable to attend the meeting for nominations and
elections you should have two letters on file with the Secretary/Treasurer
of Local 7019. One letter from a member in your area to nominate you as a
candidate with a second signature from another member in the area as the
second to the nomination. The
second letter should come from you the candidate accepting the nomination.
The meeting will
be held:
DATE: Wednesday February 11, 2015
TIME:
6:00pm
PLACE:
Hilton Hotel - 20 E Thomas
Nominations
will be from 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Voting
will be at 7:00pm
PLEASE ATTEND
THIS IMPORTANT MEETING!
30
July 21, 2014
Hello, Brothers and Sisters:
Please mark your
calendars and make time to attend our meeting this Thursday at 6:30PM at the
Hilton. I want to hear from you, let’s talk about the everyday problems you
are encountering and let’s find solutions or ideas to fight or correct the
ones we can.
In unity,
Mariano
April 21, 2014
Hello everyone, I want to begin this month’s report
by talking about the expansion of the Phoenix Sales forces and the
introduction of the Residential Retention and the Small Business Retention
teams.
Some of these additions come to Phoenix at the
expense of the jobs of some of our brothers and sisters in other states, so
to them I want to extend my deepest sympathies and best wishes in their
future endeavors.
For the Phoenix Centers, this movement of work brings tremendous growth and
opportunities to become a more secure sector of the company and, more
importantly, a more involved Unit and Local and a stronger Union. With the
new addition in headcount I am going to need your help more than ever. We
are a Union and we all must take part in our future. We’ve all received the
emails from our CEO, Glen Post, talking about the
closing of centers as a “part of
our ongoing effort to help ensure CenturyLink remains competitive by
reducing our cost structure, implementing best practices across the company,
achieving operational efficiencies and improving customer service”,
right?
Lately, the word “consistency” has become a favorite in
communications between the Company and us; meetings with our members are
being shortened and presentations such as the ones about health benefits
with our new members, cancelled. The Company uses the word “consistency” to
deny these meetings because other Locals have not been conducting theirs the
same way (even though this is in most cases not true). We are growing, it is
true, but attrition is still a very real problem for our Sales and Retention
centers. I can tell you that, about 7 years ago in Salk Lake City, the
attrition in those centers were at one point 110%. Yes, 110%. This means
that people were leaving faster than they could be replaced.
At one point, every college and
university had been bled dry of candidates and as a result, high schools
were being targeted to recruit employees. My fear is that we will reach that
point in Phoenix if the current practices don’t change and if we as a
workforce and as a Union don’t step up to the plate.
Doing nothing can have severe
consequences on our centers. How about we start small? Let’s all wear a red
t-shirt on Thursdays; can we do that? We have been dormant as a
Union for a very long time. Sure the discipline gets handled and issues are
addressed as they come up but I need your help to rebuild the spirit that we
once had.
I am not going
to talk about all the different centers and issues with their respective
management teams on this report since we just had a Unit meeting.
So I will leave
you with a reminder that we have our annual picnic scheduled for May 10th
at the Steele Indian School Park. Come have a good time, talk, get involved
and shape our future and the future of our kids. Look for posters being
added to our boards this week.
In Unity,
Mariano
DECEMBER 5, 2013
Can you
believe that another year just went by?
Where did 2013 go? We'll get to the report in just a minute but first
I wanted to ask “How would you like to help a good cause and have a
chance to win a 60” Samsung 240Hz LED TV in time for the Holidays?”
Our local is helping the Pediatric Aids Foundation with a fundraiser that
can do just that! Tickets on sale now, 3x$10 or 8x$20. Contact me or a
steward for more information. Thank you.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2013
What a night. As you know, Reed Roberts was in town last night and offered
an explanation of the tentative agreement. He talked about why the committee
presented this agreement; what the tone of negotiations were throughout the
nearly year-long process; what the company presented prior to this tentative
agreement and what they could (and likely would) come back with should the
majority return a NO vote. He talked about the options the Company and the
Union would have, should this be the outcome of the vote. I am not going to
tell you that I like this contract and I am not going to tell you how to
vote; this report will only include facts and educated estimations and
outcome possibilities based on what was shared, depending whether the
contract gets ratified or not.
A YES vote:
A YES vote will mean that we agree to the good and the bad presented in the
tentative agreement. This agreement includes increases in healthcare
premiums; green circled of titles; the implementation of two tier titles and
changes to the 401K. These are the major points. Depending on tenure, age
and title some of these changes will affect each one of us differently. We
can look at how the increase of healthcare contributions will affect your
annual take-home pay if you’d like, I have a calculator I can use to change
the variables depending on coverage, dependents and wages. For the majority
of our membership, these changes will not have a negative effect on
take-home monies until 2015 or later. Some of the good points are job
security language and the return of work from vendors (in the US and out of
the country) into the bargaining unit.
A
NO vote:
A NO vote will be followed by one of several options. The bargaining committees could go back to the negotiations table and start the process as if nothing ever happened. This scenario is very unlikely based on observations by our bargaining committee. Even if they would resume negotiations, the company could (and very likely would as they are allowed under Federal Labor Law) terminate the contract and implement at that point some or all of the provisions outlined in the tentative agreement presented to us. A second option could be that the Company declares an impasse and puts out a best and final offer that, based on the information provided, would be substantially worse than the current tentative agreement. If this were to happen we would have two options; we could either take their new proposal or go out on strike. Should a strike be called it would be classified as an “Economic Strike” and this would allow the company to fire anyone who joins it.
These are our options and again I am not going to tell you how to vote but
I will ask you to consider the following before you do:
-
Are you prepared to strike for over 6 months should we need to? Do you have a second job or enough money saved to carry you through that time?
-
-
-
-
55% of the total membership returned a strike ballot, of which 75% voted to authorize it. My educated guess is based on talking to you and hearing from members in other locals and I would say that (generously speaking) half of this number are prepared to strike for about 2 weeks with 20% of them being able to stay out longer than two weeks. The number would likely drop to less than 10% able to support it for more than 3 months. If we put it in actual number this looks something like this: 300 members voted to authorize the committee to call a strike; 2650 would strike for 2 weeks; 1600 would remain after that with only about 530 over three months.
-
To conclude, I wanted to address the behavior displayed by some of our
members present last night. Understanding the pressure that this tentative
agreement puts on all of us, the name-calling and personal attacks that took
place among brothers and sisters are far worse than any I’d experienced from
the company. I am not saying
don’t be mad, I am just asking you to redirect your anger and frustration
and to do something with it. I’m mad! I am beyond frustrated with this
company because I understand their current fiscal situation and the greed
with which they operate. I am not saying that this is a good contract or
that it is even a fair contract; I know that their pockets are deep and that
they could do better but I also understand that the unfortunate economic
situation of our country allows them to operate in the way they do. Get mad,
get angry, get involved and do something with it. Whatever happens with this
contract, the time to start organizing and strategizing to change
legislation and improve the standard of living of our communities is now. We
must change the way we have been operating and we cannot expect those in
leadership roles to do it all. Paying dues doesn’t make us active members;
it just allows us to exist. If we want to get stronger and if we want to
have a better chance we all must get engaged. I know that some do not agree
with the way I do or say things but as I said time and time again, I will
not give you the answer you want to hear but the one you need to hear even
if this means that my opportunities as an officer are numbered; those who
truly know me know this to be true. Two hundred members were present last
night and many of them were retirees. We can’t accomplish what we need with
10% participation and I understand that not everyone can be there all the
time but hearing “I can’t go; I have a life outside of work” is the most
discouraging answer one can give. Right now we don’t look good, we are not
strong and we need to change that. As always, I remain available to talk
about any issues. I hope to see you at our local convention on 09/21. Please
mark your calendars and make the time to attend.
Thank you,
Mariano
April 2013
Hello everyone:
Where to begin!?
CenturyLink’s senior leadership continues to work against us as it hides
behind the faces of local managers and the relationships that we have with
them. Those above the ones we work with insist on disregarding our
interests, our history and our future; even to the point of blatantly
violating our contract. If you were hired within the last 5 years, chances
are you recall your Union orientation and when I said to you, for the first
time, that no matter how friendly your supervisors and managers are they are
not your friends. I am simply stating facts, facts that are more visible
with some than others but at some point will apply to all. This doesn’t
necessarily mean that they are bad people; sometimes it just means that they
have roles that dictate some of their actions. Nevertheless, most people
will not stick up for you against the current leadership so please exercise
caution when speaking, sharing or doing anything in the presence of any
member of management.
Contract negotiations
resumed April 3rd
and it is not surprising that Mr. Post put out another email full of fear
tactics and half-truths. Reports from our elected bargaining committee are
available on our website as usual and I posted the one from April 4th
on our boards; so feel free to take a peek at them, you might be surprised
(or perhaps not) of how much control the company wants to take over our
personal lives in the name of their Unifying Principles and Core Values.
This week all of our managers are taking part of a
labor forum that will go into detail about our contract; how to prepare
paperwork, how to conduct meetings and how to cover their tracks. Please
watch for changes in approach, mood, relationships and tone and report any
concerns to a steward or myself.
UNIT 4 MEETING!
April 18th, 4:30PM-7:30PM, Hilton Hotel
Now, for the latest on each department:
NOHD (ENS and
CRIS)
We continue to work with local management on
departmental efficiencies and better business practices. These ideas are
shared with senior management and it is our hope that some of them will be
implemented. Every team is getting better and it is everyone’s hope to
continue to grow the center as more employees are hired in the Sales
department.
El Centro:
We continue to see the effects of talks and
relationships with local leaders and discipline for metrics continues to be
low. Please be sure to call for a steward even if you don’t believe that you
have a case. One thing that is being enforced on the floor is the policy on
electronic devices so please do not get caught with your cell phones on
while on the clock; if I can see you (and I do) management can see you too.
Sales
Talks around the lack of coaching and development,
the violations of both our contract and our trust and the discipline
administered these past few months, continues. I understand how frustrating
it is to have to wait for responses but every point that can help these
cases is being made and, even when the discipline has not been removed, we
have been able to work agreements with local management to allow more time
for everyone to transition into this new role. I will keep you updated as
information becomes available. If there is something I may ask of you is to
please offer on every call and don’t spend too much time on the customer
service portion of the job when it is not going to lead you to a sell.
UNIT 4 MEETING! April
18th, 4:30PM-7:30PM, Hilton Hotel.
In Unity,
FEBRUARY 15, 2013
Welcome to the first report of 2013. What
a year it’s been so far! We have been busy with discipline issues, contract
negotiations and an uncooperative employer, etc. Let me elaborate…
Inbound Sales
Your team has been challenged with several
changes these last few months, from queues and call routing being modified,
to having to adjust to performance management and the process and timeframes
of filing and following up on grievances. I want to thank you for your
patience as I know that performance management is, for most of you,
unfamiliar territory and unfortunately will become much more common in your
new role. I’ve always said that I will be frank and as direct as I can with
my answers and my messages and I’ve been keeping you updated with the
decisions that managements has made as quickly as I can disclose them.
Unfortunately, even when local management agrees with us and tries to make a
decision based on factors and evidence presented during the grievance
process, we continue to see the disregard that senior leadership has for us
as employees and we will continue to represent you against unfair practices.
I understand how frustrating it is to have to wait for steps to be followed
when things don’t go as we want them and I wish they could be expedited. I
also know how hard it is to put things aside and continue to do your job to
the best of your abilities but I really need you to trust me and our
stewards to do our part so that you can concentrate on your day-to-day
obligations. We will continue to update you as things develop.
El Centro
Your department is expanding. New classes
are about to graduate and join you on the floor! This is a good thing for
our centers in Phoenix and we want to continue growing. More jobs = job
security for all. Discipline is at its usual rate and we continue to work on
it as we’ve always done but I wanted to remind all of you to please call us
into your meetings so that we can get information from you from the
beginning, we need to hear your side even if you don’t think you have a
case. Please join us in our unit meetings and share your concerns when they
first arise so that we can decide how we can address them, together.
Remember… WE, all of us, are the union. We represent you during meetings but
we can’t do it all. As I shared in the last couple of reports, it is time to
get some stewards in your department and next week I’ll be asking some of
you to join us in representing yourselves and your peers. As I mentioned,
your department is growing and we need a bigger army to make sure we can
keep up with the issues. Simply put, we either step up or get stepped on.
If you skipped over the message to the Inbound Sales group, please take a
look at it. The company made a decision to deliver Documented Discussions
for performance based on many considered factors to a week later reversing
that decision and placing them on a Restated Written Warning. As some of you
know, this constitutes double jeopardy and can’t stand, however those above
your local management don’t seem to care and continue to display their true
colors when it comes to showing their commitment to us as employees. We all
must do our part and voicing our disappointment is no longer enough. We must
all work together as a union and get involved if we want to succeed. It is
now or never.
NOHD
Things have been picking up in our
department as well, with busier conditions than we’ve seen in a long time,
triggering MOT and even allowing for VOT to be offered. We haven’t had any
major issues (discipline related) in the department as we continue to adjust
to changes, sometimes daily.
CRIS
The targeted improvements have been
reached in most areas which is making things operate fairly smoothly.
ENSEMBLE
On the “ENSEMBLE” side we continue to roll
with the punches the best we can as we discover new things in almost every
call. As you know, our unit continues to work with our local management to
acquire information, training and tools more quickly to improve our skills,
although not always achieving the desired results. Patience continues to be
tested in all of us in the center but so far we have been successful on
extending learning curves as we hone the skills needed to perform our new
job.
CMC and Cobros
Discipline has been lately administered
without the company taking accountability for their actions, without
considering the lack of development provided and even without grounds.
Maintain and sustain clauses have been added to the discipline documents and
accountability has been focused in some cases, exclusively on you. We have
filed some grievances and have been successful in some while others are
being sent to second step. I hear about the harassment about the so called
"lost time" and this is also being addressed. We continue working on issues
and meeting with management weekly and will keep you informed as results
develop.
Now, a little news on our contract
It’s been 4 months since the expiration of
our contract (6 months since negotiations began) and little progress has
been made at the table, leaving our bargaining committee with little to say
during our weekly calls. This week a press release revealed that the
Executive Committee authorized President Larry Cohen to call a strike if
conditions and practices don’t improve. This is not to say that we will go
out on strike in a week or even a month but it is, and always has been a
possibility. Negotiations will continue as long as progress and talks show
improvement as we reserve a work stoppage as a last option. We will be
updating picket duty books and we need to make sure we have all of our
members contact information and addresses up to date so stay informed and
read the emails sent to all members in our unit and keep up with the
information on the bulletin boards. You can also go to
www.cwa7019.org and click on the “Member Contact Update”
link on the left to enter the information yourselves.
In Unity,
Mariano Godoy
December, 2012
This is going to be the last report of 2012 and I
wanted to do a recap of some of the most important moments this year and
offer some updates.
In March I talked about the challenges we would
likely face as a result of business restructuring as well as during contract
negotiations. The company proved to be even worse than imagined and the
micromanagement extends beyond our centers and it’s even being felt by local
leadership. We know of some concerning aspirations and the disregard that
Centurylink has for our jobs and is shows in their regressive proposals and
their push for two-tier titles in every department, which would lead to
lower wages even for existing employees looking to advance within the
company. Irene returned from Denver earlier this month and shared detains in
her report, please take some time to read it.
This was a busy and
difficult year. In March I was summoned to take part in a Grand Jury that
lasted until the middle of June, in May I was excused for two weeks as I was
fortunate enough to take part in the MLI (Minority Leadership Institute) in
Maryland and as soon as I got back I was put in training for the NOHD. Now I
am in the last week of training for the Ensemble piece of NOHD training. In
July officers and stewards participated in the Political Conference held on
a Saturday
at the IBEW hall where we discussed some
of the most current union busting bills and anti-union legislation (I
covered this in June’s report). Even though these responsibilities kept me
at times away from the center, we managed to take care of local business.
Through all the obstacles I many times thanked the stewards in the unit but
I don’t believe I ever talked about the help I received from our president,
Irene Robles. She has been a tremendous help and support in my role this
year. Irene, thank you!
In August we began mobilization efforts and our
t-shirts were distributed. Thank you for wearing them on Wednesdays and for
wearing red on Thursdays as well. This simple task has a big impact at the
negotiations table and if management doesn’t see us all wearing red it takes
that as a sign of us being divided. We need to stand together! I am calling
on all of you to please continue or start participating.
September and October were months in which
mobilization was pretty frequent and although we got shut down in some of
our efforts, the desired reaction was achieved. Great job to all mobilizers
and thank you all for participating! (The clickers and the WTF pins were my
favorite).
The fourth quarter in general presented some of us
with additional changes to our responsibilities due to changes in our
departments, QA calibrations, etc… Through talks with local leadership we
were able to reverse some of them.
NOHD:
We were able to work with
Sabrina Gentry and change some of the QA requirements such as asking
representatives to check with their customer after being on the line with us
for 5 minutes and getting evaluated for dead air when talking to a
technician. We are challenged with new systems and scenarios that were not
necessarily covered during training and this is something that will be
brought up as we discuss learning curves. We will need to exercise patience
as we all adjust, as a department, to our new role.
Cobros:
Sales:
El Centro:
2012 has been a difficult but productive year where
although not everything that we wanted was achieved many important tasks
were completed. I look forward to 2013. Please continue to reach out to me
with any concerns. I am always available whether in person, via text or
email.
Happy New Year,
Mariano
November 15, 2012
I want to begin this report by addressing the number one question in everyone’s minds, “Do we have any news from the bargaining committee, yet?” The reality is although talks continue; our issues have not been cleared and in many cases not even addressed yet. A mediator was brought in to try to expedite the process but since the company has not put out all of their proposals, he could not intervene at this time. I understand that, especially with the Holidays around the corner, stress builds up in the presence of uncertainty and I wanted to remind us all of a few of points in hopes to alleviate some of it:
1.
The original
expiration date of the contract was October 6, a little over a month ago.
Stay positive, these things take time (look at AT&T and Verizon, for
example).
Rushing to an agreement would mean giving up and we can’t afford that.
These negotiations could prove the
most important step towards setting the tone for
our future.
the current programs. I would
suggest going to the doctor, the dentist and any other specialist you may
have been waiting to see, now, as what we will have
after the new contract is ratified remains to be seen.
Again, please don’t take
this as an attempt to disregard concerns and instead view it as a way to
concentrate on the positive points of our current situation.
Generations
before us worked hard to get us to where we owe it to them and those to
come, to
remain UNITED and FIGHT. Wear your shirts, mobilize, and stay informed and
engaged.
I want to talk about the center a little as well.
El Centro:
Cobros/CMC:
NOHD:
DS Team:
Please remember that
canvasing for the 2013 calendar has started and now is the best time to
schedule your time off, as we have an extra 20% of time added to the
calendar until we are done with
days at a time. After that is done, the 20% will be removed.
In trying times I leave you with these words from
Mahatma Gandhi:
In Unity,
OCTOBER 15,
2012
I want to begin this month’s report by
thanking you for your engagement, your spirit and your solidarity in these
difficult and stressful times. We are
fighting a monster-size corporation with monster-size greed and it is
important that we remain united and fight for our rights as workers and as
union members. I understand and at
times share the anxiety you feel due to the lack of movement at the
negotiations table but we must remain calm, trust our bargaining committee
and use this time wisely to get ready for every possible outcome.
It is crucial to negotiations that we
do so and that we have faith in those who were elected to represent us to
strategize our best course of action. Together
we will get through this!
Check out this link at the bottom of the page after
you’re done, the information in this article might give you some talking
points to share with your coach next time you have a DEVO session.
NOHD:
I really don’t have a lot to share but what I have it’s positive.
The center has been in place and
functioning for a month and efficiencies are being improved daily.
I believe in the future of this
center of which I am a part and I am happy to report that I met with
management today and was told that they are pleased with how the department
is evolving. The remaining employees
hired to take part of this team are currently in training and will be
joining us on the floor in approximately 3 weeks.
El Centro:
Call volumes have not dropped by much
but for what I understand the type of calls routed to the center do not
present enough opportunities for ordering products.
Some of you joined me over a week ago
for a meeting and we discussed the strategy of writing down the nature of
every call received before your first break, between then and lunch; between
lunch and 2nd break and between then and your EOT.
I will be talking to some of you and
gathering that information so that I can present a case to Mark and Nelson.
The challenge that I was presented
with (and the reason why we are writing down the types of calls) is that the
company’s reporting shows a total of loyalty calls of fewer than 15%.
I understand that the reality is
different since the calls that are routed as HSI disconnect are not being
factored in with the Loyalty percentage. We
will continue to work on this subject and metrics attainment will be argued
by using, among other things, the records provided by you.
I am constantly working to address
issues to minimize discipline in both CRIS and Ensemble sides as well.
Cobros and
CMC: For the most part your center
stays below the radar, sort of speak. There
is usually some discipline but it is normally under 10% of the workforce,
maybe even less than 5%. Daniel and I
continue to meet with your management team monthly and issues will continue
to be addressed as they surface.
Departmental
reports
are short this month since, as a result of company strategies to handle
calls in the event of a strike, we have been successful on negotiating with
local management to hold back on most of the discipline for a few months
now.
Mobilization has been
greatly successful so far and I have no doubt we will continue to inflict
the desired effect on the company as we continue our efforts.
We had the clickers in the building
today and Tracy Johnson (AVP for Unit 3) and I got kicked out of the Alcove
this morning while passing them out as a result of four calls made by
management complaining about us having a rally.
A couple of Team Leads came out
running out of their offices to advise employees that the clickers could not
be used in the production floor. GREAT
JOB!
J.
Activities will continue, so stay active!
I am proud of this unit and I
believe we can make a difference by continuing to show unity.
Lastly, I understand we all
have “reliable sources” but please pay no attention to your managers when
they give you “inside information” as they get little information about the
talks at the table. Because of
personal relationships with subordinates, at times they are fed wrong
information purposely in hopes that they will share this “truth” with some
of you.
Please check with me or a steward if
you hear anything and before you share it with any of your peers to avoid
unfunded panic.
Thank you all again,
In solidarity,
Mariano
PS:
Here’s the link.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-15-most-disliked-companies-in-america.html?page=2
SEPTEMBER 2012
WOW! Has
it been a month already? So much
has happened and so much is still to come!
Let me address a few points:
1.
The YouCan to NOHD
transition was completed recently.
Most of the SSC’s who worked in the YouCan department are now
representatives of the National Order help Desk (NOHD) while others decided
to move into the new English Sales group.
Interviews were conducted by the company and additional employees
were selected through the post and bid process to join the force.
We have encountered, and are addressing, challenges such as the
introduction of NOHD representative as a manager of the business to
customers. I understand the
frustration that these types of issues produce and I wanted to let you know
that we are already working on it.
Without going into too much detail here, everyone effected by the
change is aware of the letter of agreement signed in April of this year and
the description of the work that would be assigned and the change around the
contractually previously agreed upon RD pay.
Keep in mind that a new contract is being negotiated and this could
change that letter of agreement as well, I am not saying that it will but I
am saying that it could
Discussion around the original communications of duties and responsibilities
against what we have experienced the actual
call mix to be are also being prepared.
I will set up a meeting for this group within the next 2 weeks.
I hope to see you all there so that we can talk and I can hear the
concerns that need either clarification or research.
2.
El Centro and Ensemble
groups have been (for the most part) relaxed on discipline administration
for the past three months. While
management will lead you to believe that they are working with you and that
they understand the challenges and difficulties of today’s economy and
learning curves surrounding the addition of new systems, please understand
that this wouldn’t have been done without the endless talks between your
stewards and management. We
pushed for this to happen and are constantly working proactively to help
with anything we see could become an issue.
Thanks to all of you who keep me informed of changes and provide me
information.
3.
Cobros remains mostly
unchanged and we continue to deal with problems as they arise.
Daniel Rivera and I have monthly leadership meetings with RAS and
Operations managers to address any issues brought forth by the membership.
4.
T-shirts were
distributed a couple of weeks ago and “Are you kidding me?” pins were passed
around this week. If any of you
do not have a shirt or a pin, please see me or a steward to get yours.
Our bargaining committee has asked for all of us to wear the “It
takes all of us” shirt on Wednesdays and RED on Thursdays.
Please support each other by doing this.
5.
Our current contract
expires October 6 and the company is getting ready for any foreseeable
outcome. Management has been
instructed to collect our badges the weekend before the expiration of the
contract and to have us signed in daily when we report to work.
Strategies are being developed to deal with this change and will be
communicated through your stewards shortly.
Keep calm and remain united and stay informed by reading the
bargaining reports and talking to me or one of your stewards whenever you
hear something new. Rumors such
as the NOHD being a group of managers hired by the company to prepare for a
strike (OBVIOUSLY FALSE) have been started.
These tactics are designed to pin us against each other in times when
we need to work together so please, again, verify anything you hear with me
or a steward.
6.
Lastly, I wanted to
talk about what we’ve accomplished as a unit in less than a year.
At the time I assumed the role of AVP over Unit 4, attendance to
membership meetings was normally 0-2 people.
Today we hold departmental meetings with 10-15 members who
participate pretty consistently. We
are still not where we need to be but we have made an incredible improvement
and for this I thank all of you.
We grew our Steward group and enjoy the company and help of Irene Salazar
(NOHD); Chris Mendez DS); Melissa Gonzales (NOHD) and Sylvie Carrasco
(NOHD). I know that my methods
have been misunderstood and/or criticized at times but everything I have
done was done in the best interest of the membership.
As you already know, not everything goes the way we’d like all the
time but I will always be frank, even if the answer to the question is not a
pleasant one. It was with the
help of everyone in the steward group that through the implementation of
these changes we have made improvements to relationships with the company
and increased membership in some departments. When I ran for this position
last year, I said that I would change some things and ask for the
involvement of the membership and encourage stewardship within each
department. We have grown in
both those areas and accomplished some major tasks, and we will continue to
work towards a stronger Union. I
encourage all of you to take part in the process whether it’d be as a
Steward, a Mobilizer, a member of a committee or anything else.
Please talk to me if you are interested.
Thank You,
July 2012
“We the People of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect UNION… “
Sound familiar? Here’s the whole thing…
“We the People
of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for
the United States of America.”
Not a more perfect party, group, country, or
nation… they said UNION. They said UNION because they knew what that word
meant. They understood its values and the responsibilities that needed to be
shared by everyone to forge a future for everyone. They said UNION because
it was going to take effort and sacrifice on everyone’s part to build a
great country. They said UNION because people wanted to work together
towards common goals. They wanted a just system and the prosperity of their
families and neighbors. They said UNION because they hoped for a society
that advanced and progressed as one, a society that allowed people to
venture out and to grow as one. Do we still want the same things? I believe
we do.
So
why is it that some people will portrait the word “UNION” as a synonym of
greed and violence? Walter Reuther said in
1945 “Labor is not fighting for a
larger piece of the pie, labor is fighting for a larger pie”. Some
politicians and monster-sized corporations want to brainwash people into
believing that the UNION way is the wrong way.
I
am here to tell you that UNION is a word that is just as great today and it
holds the same values today as it did when our founding fathers used it.
It’s founded (among other things) on solidarity; justice; equality and
opportunity, and if these politicians, corporate lobbyists and CEO’s think
is wrong, then I guess it is time to get rid of the Constitution and start
over.
Brothers and Sisters, Unions are and have been
for quite some time, under attack. Our future rests on all of our shoulders.
We must think big, bigger than our contract. What is happening today is a
direct result of years of corporate greed and unfair legislation. We must
reflect on the reasons why companies have become so powerful and think of
how to get that power back. We have the obligation to look at the issues
affecting us and our families and support those who are going to protect us
against the oppression of the mighty “deep pocket”. We have to regain
control over what
is rightfully ours and fight for the
things that we have worked so hard to earn for so many generations. Our
children depend on us and the future of this great Nation depends on us.
Vote for justice for all; for a protected working
class, for the opportunity to succeed and for a rewarding future.
Thank you
Mariano Godoy
July, 2012
Great news!
Well, no, not really.
In fact I don’t know which bad news to give you, first.
As you know, our contract is about to expire in
October and negotiations are set to begin mid-August. Our expectations are
that the company will come at us with everything they have. The expectations
are that will come after wages, health benefits, pension, and everything
else that we as a Union have been able to accomplish through bargaining over
the past 70+ years. We have copies of language taken from actual and recent
contracts negotiated by Centurylink that includes among other things
language such as “the company reserves the right at their sole discretion to
change the language around our Pensions, 401k’s and healthcare premiums”.
Are you scared yet? Well, you should be. We all
should be.
This past Saturday, along with other stewards and
officers of our local I took part of a political conference held at the IBEW
hall in Phoenix, a big thank you to our brothers and sisters for once again
allowing us to use their facility. I was asked to introduced myself and say
how excited to be there I was so I said “My name is Mariano Godoy, Local
7019, Phoenix and I am excited to learn and get out”. That is exactly what I
am doing today, I am getting out and sharing the message and trying once
again to stimulate more of you to get involved.
We studied and discussed some of the bills that have
been introduced this year like SB1484 (Paycheck deduction of union dues);
SB1485/1486/1487 (Public employees prohibitions, compensation and union dues
collections); HB2571 (would have taken away public sector employee
termination protection by allowing employers to fire employees for any
reason… superseding contracts). Some of these bills were, as you see,
an attack on public employees and
their unions and were an attempt to dismantle those unions and create a
stepping stone to us in the private sector.
This legislation is threatening the American way of
life. It is undermining you, me, our children and everyone who has to work a
9-5 job (or more) to be able to provide our families. This legislation is an
attempt by big corporations to gain even more control over our economy and
the wealth of our country. Yes, I said “our economy”, mine and yours,
because we live in a country with two economic systems “ours and theirs”.
Our economy is based on 10% of the money that moves around in this country
and we are reminded every day that it is because 90% of the total population
of the United States enjoys 10% of the wealth, that companies don’t have the
money to create more jobs and why they deserve more tax cuts. We keep
hearing that we should pay more in health insurance costs and “take one for
the team” and make less money (look at the Verizon contract, for example)so
that someone else can also get a job… SERIOUSLY? And they say this with a
straight face and twist the facts so much that they make it sound so
convincing that some people believe it. As if the remaining 90% of the money
is not enough for them to live off of. The wealthiest 10,000 people in the
country pay an average of 17% in all inclusive taxes (Medicare, income,
Social Security) and enjoy an average annual income of $236 million dollars.
Brothers and sisters, 90% of this country is
fighting to keep the 10% that we have worked so hard to earn. We have gone
from being called the land of opportunity to being the “land of
opportunism”, where employers and politicians look at us as a dollar sign. I
am not opposed to the rich but I am opposed to everyone else not having
enough while the wealthy get wealthier at our expense and at the expense of
outsourcing our jobs.
Please
go to
http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=8078765 and look
at the list of companies that support ALEC
(SPOILER ALERT: It
includes CENTURYLINK!!!!), the
organization responsible for most of the attacks on workers, and do your
best to not contribute to their profits. Shop at places like CVS instead of
Walgreens; UPS instead of FedEx, etc…
Next time you have a DEVO session with your
supervisor and he/she asks you if you have any questions about anything, ask
them “Do you know why Century Link contributes to ALEC, an entity that
threatens our jobs?” I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t even know what
ALEC is, but ask (go to
www.alecexposed.com to read more about it). Show them that we are
getting educated about their tactics and the politics of the so called
“game”. Let’s show them that we can and will stand together, that we are one
and that we are strong.
Please attend the bargaining meeting this Thursday,
July 19th at 7PM. This report is just the tip of the iceberg and
we have a lot more information to share. If
this report scared you, you should come to hear what else we’ll have to
fight against and if it didn’t I guarantee that we will find something that
will.
THE ALARM CLOCK IS GOING OFF… AND IF YOU SNOOZE, WE
ALL LOSE.
In unity,
Mariano Godoy
JUNE, 2012
As I enjoy my
long-overdue flight back home, let me begin by sharing with you my
experience at the National Labor College, these past two weeks.
I had the
privilege of taking part of the MLI (Minority Leadership
Institute) in
Silver Springs, MD, where I studied the Labor movement; the effects of
minorities (migration and immigration) in the history of not only Unions but
in our country and the world as a whole, and dove into more detail on the
threats that we as a working class are facing today.
It was an
experience that I will never forget.
I met a group
of 10 people from across the nation with different ethnic and industrial
backgrounds, with whom I found common ground in our struggles and in a few
days formed a bond.
I am proud and honored to call them my friends.
I had the opportunity to meet CWA’s national
leadership and hear about their experiences and challenges throughout their
lives and careers.
I
learned from them about our fight as a Union and gained an even better
perspective of where we are today as a movement, how we got here and where
we are headed. I
must say, things don’t look good.
As you may already know, we are under the
constant attack by big companies and the legislators they control.
We
are fighting against deep-pocketed lobbyists like the Koch brothers and
giant entities such as Alec.
I am going to ask you to put aside party affiliation
and think of the topics that are most important to you and your family and
make a “top 5” list.
STOP
READING UNTIL YOU HAVE IT DONE, THEN CONTINUE
The majority of the country is mainly
concerned with three issues:
jobs; economy and health care.
Did you find any similarities? Then, please, we all need your help.
We
are in an election year and those who want to destroy the working class are
trying to distract us from the things that truly matter by bringing up
topics that spark controversy and pin us against each other.
Have
you ever stopped to wonder “If they are so concerned about immigrants
because “they are taking American jobs”, why are they trying to pass
legislation to outsource our work?”
Please,
think as a worker regardless of political affiliation and most importantly,
vote. I
could go on about voter-suppression campaigns and how they are trying to
control the elections but that would take too long.
Perhaps
we could talk about it in the next membership meeting.
I shared this thought with the MLI class a
couple of days ago “Some people think that those who don’t get involved,
those who don’t stand up and fight an unjust system, cannot affect the
events of tomorrow.
I
am here to tell you: That is
not true.
Those
who don’t get involved can’t change or fix such broken system but are
contributors to its continuation and its aftermath.”
I leave you with this: “What are you willing
to do to protect worker’s rights and living conditions?
What
are you willing to do for you and your family, for their future and for the
future of this country?”
Thank you,
Mariano Godoy
April 2012
It seems that our President Irene Robles,
beat me to the punch on some of the updates so if you haven’t yet, please
read her report.
In a “more -unit-based” news:
El Centro started a new training class with plans
of increasing the headcount.
New leadership is being put in place and will be
settled by mid-June.
This is not to say that the CenturyLink culture is
not being enforced now so please make sure you understand your rights and
that you enforce them. If you are called into a meeting with a manager,
please ask for a steward. Have someone present with you early in the
process, in the first meeting.
As stewards we can many times address
issues and correct them but we have to catch them early because we have
legal and contractual terms that we have to adhere. The reality is that, as
a company, CenturyLink
is
not required to ask you if you want a steward so, again, ask for one.
Especially if you are in El Centro, you have already
started experiencing the changes in process when it comes to discipline. The
company is acting by the book, and doing as little as possible to provide
the employees with the opportunities and rights that they are entitled to.
YouCan, every movement made by new
leadership in every department so far points to the growth of our Phoenix
Center. I
believe that our jobs are secure based on efficiency reports and our ranking
against all other Centers.
Cobros and DS’s: Your groups are pretty
uneventful, more of the same and no change in the horizon.
I… we… need some of you to help us with
mobilization efforts, ideally
I would like to have 3-4 people per floor in these positions.
As you know,
I am usually walking the floors and visiting members in break rooms every
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday so please get a hold of me if you are
interested. My
contact information is on this website and on all of the boards as well.
Negotiations are near and we need to get ready.
One last thing… A few months ago I asked for
your support and I made a promise that I would work with you to make this a
better workplace. It
is because of it that I am now asking for your involvement and
participation. Our future depends on it. Please make plans to attend the
annual convention.
It will be held on Saturday, August 18th
and many interesting speakers will be there, including agents from the
bargaining committee. I will post the information on the board soon.
Thank you again,
Mariano Godoy
Area
Vice President, Area 4
March 2012
Where did the last six months go? First, I
wanted to thank you all for your support during the last election, I am honored
to represent Unit 4. One of the goals that I mentioned in my campaign flyer was
that I wanted to grow the unit so that each department was represented by their
peers. I am happy to welcome Melissa Gonzales (You Can); Chris Mendez (You Can);
Irene Salazar (You Can); and Silvia Carrasco (El Centro) as new stewards. I
would also like to congratulate Daniel Rivera as the new Area Rep for Cobros and
thank Rosemary Aguayo for her help in that role in previous years and for her
ongoing support of the membership as an active steward. John Seeley and Eddie
Hiralez have taken positions in the RSC, making them stewards of unit 3 under
the direction of Tracey Johnson. A big “THANK YOU” to both of them as well. For
a list of all stewards names and contact information please visit our union
board on your floor.
Rumors of upcoming
changes and possible topics of discussion during the upcoming contract
negotiations have begun to develop. Due to this, I wanted to take a moment
to give you some facts based on early examination of the company’s current
restructuring and past strategies:
1. Negotiations are not set to start until August
of 2012, please fill out a “YES I’LL BE THERE” card. (see me or a steward to
get one) These cards tell the company that our bargaining committee is at
the table representing all of us. Low number of cards = NO BARGAINING POWER.
2. Bargaining agents have been nominated and as
soon as the names of those selected are available I will post them on all of
our union boards.
3. Century Link is a company that is not used to a
union environment which could make negotiations challenging.
4. Your involvement and participation is crucial to
our success and future, even more so than in past years, so please see me or
a steward to find out how to get involved.
5. Financial preparation and planning during the
upcoming months will be essential for all of us.
6. Unit meetings will be held every 6-7 weeks to
update the membership. Please make sure you are taking the time to attend.
CenturyLink has been financially successful but
here are some things to take in consideration when evaluating them as a
company:
1. Traditionally, the company did business in rural
areas where competition was minute or non-existent. This has changed since
the acquisition of QWEST. We all need to come together to make a difference.
2. Contracts between CenturyLink and previous
acquisitions were bargained for very small (and therefore less powerful)
groups of employees. We all need to come together to make a difference.
3. Their interest is the “bottom line”. Much like
giants such as WALMART, a workforce is nothing other than a necessary
business expense. The worker, however, is expendable and replaceable. We all
need to come together to make a difference.
4. As a result of such small bargained-for groups,
their experience of conducting business in a union environment is somewhat
distorted. We all need to come together to make a difference.
5. This year they will take on a union that
represents more employees than all of the previous unions with which they
did business, combined. We all need to come together to make a difference.
As you know, our CEO and top executives may run the
company but “THEY DON’T MAKE THE COMPANY RUN!!!” Let’s remind them of this
fact.
Stand together and stay tuned.
In unity,
Mariano Godoy
AVP, Unit 4
Local 7019
January 17, 2012
Unit Meeting and
Area Rep Nomination/Elections Information Below
UNIT 4 MEETING
Area Vice President Mariano Godoy
Where: Hilton
Hotel – 20 E Thomas
When: February
8th
7:00pm – 7:30pm
I will be at the Hilton at 4:00pm for those
of you who get off early and would like to stop by.
Please make the time in your busy schedules
to support your Union and learn what’s happening around you in your workplace.
WE
ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS YOU ALLOW US TO BE!!!
UNIT 4 ELECTIONS
Area
Vice President Mariano Godoy
A Unit 4 meeting will be held to nominate
and elect Area Reps for Area’s 1, 2, & 3.
Nominations will be taken from the floor, or
in written form, at the Unit meeting. All written nominations (the nomination
and/or the second to the nomination) must be on file with the
Secretary-Treasurer’s office. The nominee must be present to accept the
nomination, or have a signed letter on file with the Secretary-Treasurer
stating they will accept the nomination. All letters must be sent by certified
mail to CWA Local 7019 C/O Secretary Treasurer, 1615 N 36th Street,
Phoenix, AZ 85008 and must be received by 4:00 pm on February 7, 2012.
DATE: February 8, 2012
TIME: 7:30
pm – 8:00 pm
LOCATION: Hilton Hotel - 20 E Thomas
Nominations
will be from 7:30pm – 7:45pm
If necessary, voting will be from 7:45pm
– 8:00pm