Local7818 Service 4

T-shirts will be out soon. See your Steward. Also picket schedules will be e-mailed out. If we don't have your e-mail, let us know at local7818@msn.com Thanks

COPE: we are still meeting quota good but since our meeting in May we (I) have only signed up 2 people, with people’s general dissatisfaction with the government it should be easier. We have shirts for those who sign up. The Quota is $2 a pay period. Please work on signing up your members.

Stewards Army: This is a new program that CWA has implemented. The goal is not sign up people to do grievances its goal is to sign up people who will receive information and become a union activist. It cost no money and requires little if any time. Our goal is to sign up 10% of our members. We will get the forms to the chief stewards.

For those stewards who have not attended a General membership meeting this year you will be dropped as a steward if you do not attend August 7th. Local by-laws require that you attend 3 meetings a year. For those stewards who were trained earlier this year you have two more meetings.

AT&T - AT&T Mobility- Never have I met a more immature management team then the one at AT&T. Many of you have sent me copies of text messages that were sent from management that were nothing short of sophomoric. Your management team also likes to harass union representatives, which is a clear violation of the contract and Federal Labor Law. To me AT&T likes to boast that they are a pro-worker, pro-union company but with the exception of honoring the neutrality agreement they are no better off than Verizon in the way they treat their people. Fortunately you the members are calling and letting us know how fed up you are becoming. Please learn your contract and let your stewards know when it is violated so we can file a grievance, do not let management intimidate you, you out number them, you have the power, you the members of CWA make the company money, not management. DEMAND the respect you deserve!

Teknon- Penny has a copy of the contracts, if you have not received one please call her.

Century Tel- Tim Davis has notified us that he no longer wants to sit on the e-board. That leaves an opening for your bargaining unit. If anyone is interested call me at the local.

Network- Corbin Lemon , CDT in Lewiston will be coordinating bargaining out of this local for next years bargaining. By the next newsletter you should all have a copy of the bargaining proposal forms. Corbin will submit them and then lobby the bargaining committee at the District 7 conference in the spring. We never know what we are getting into at bargaining. Local Bargaining coordinator: Job will be to collect feed back from members and identify concerns that need to be brought the bargaining table, as well as communicate to members what is happening in bargaining. They also will be required to attend the District 7 meeting and Contract interpretation meetings in Denver in the spring and summer of 2008 (pending budget approval). Job will require some time away from work that will be reimbursed by the union, as well as some unpaid time outside of normal hours

Late shift, become familiar with your SLPP page C50, it covers work area lighting. If it is unsafe notify your manager, and make other arrangements. We all should take time to read our SLPP, all of a sudden management cares about safety as it pertains to discipline.

COEIT: It seems all is quiet in your work group. If the time comes that you are all in town I would like to meet for coffee before work. Though it is quiet it does not mean you do not have issues that you want addressed at bargaining, let me know.

Kiosks- I have been talking to some of you and I know your concerns and I assure you they will be brought to the bargaining table. Though it seems that the company likes to thank you by setting high, unattainable objectives, the techs thank you, when you sell we get to install and maintain it, thus keeping us employed.

The LRAC has been a source of concern. Remember you are only required to work 8 hours of mandatory OT. Mangers may manage to the 9^th hour but we manage to the 8^th.

The difference between mandatory and incidental overtime is this, if you dispatch on a job at 4:29 they have you for 1 hour of incidental before OTM takes effect. If you dispatch at 4:31 it is mandatory OT. Common sense would dictate that this does not apply if volunteer for the additional work. At the same time mandatory would apply if your manager orders you to work OT prior to end of your shift (ie. A page that saying no one will come in until the load is cleaned up).

Northland-

DEX-I encourage you to attend the monthly brown bag lunch.

LABOR LEADER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

AUGUST 18, 2008 -- Beth Thew is frustrated. As the Secretary-Treasurer of the Spokane Regional Labor Council (and a Vice President on the WSLC Executive Board), she has the opportunity to drive back and forth between Seattle and Spokane a lot -- and each time she sees Dino Rossi’s signs that say, "Don’t Let Seattle Steal this Election" -- Beth gets mad.

Labor Neighbor
By the Numbers

(as of 7/31/08)

Volunteer shifts: 650

WALKS
Total doors knocked: 3,579
Total conversations: 1,321

PHONE BANKING
Total phone calls: 38,713
Total conversations: 11,872

UNION APPRECIATION
Top three Unions delivering volunteer shifts as of 7/31/08 (in alphabetical order):

Amalgamated Transit Union

Office & Professional Employees Int'l Union

United Auto Workers

"The signs tug on you on an emotional level," Beth said in a recent interview. "It worries me that some people will read the signs and believe them. You know, the old saying, ‘Don’t confuse me with the facts.’ There is nothing factual about those Rossi signs -- they are pure emotion. Democrats, all too often, go for the facts, explanations, etc. and don’t use the emotional tug. The irony is, most Democratic candidates are more interested in the people aspects and the people issues, but they try to sell themselves with the cold facts rather than using the heartstring people-marketing approach like the Republicans use."

But the good news for Washington is that when Beth gets mad, she springs into action. This year her actions are all about getting Governor Chris Gregoire reelected and making sure Dino Rossi and his state-splitting tactics don’t work on union members in Spokane.

"Governor Gregoire has done a wonderful job over the last 4 years of truly creating 'One Washington,' not just issuing lip service to the phrase," said Beth.

So Beth wants to be sure people understand just how much Governor Gregoire has done during her first term. That’s why we chose to put Beth Thew in the Spotlight in this issue of the Labor Neighbor News. Beth is almost a one-woman show staging Labor Neighbor walks, phone banks, recruiting volunteers and motivating affiliates in her Central Labor Council to pitch in for the 2008 elections.

Last Updated 08/18/2008 17:02