All emails should have the members name and contact information so the executive board may contact the member for additional information and clarification as to their letter, idea or comment for publication.

Presidents corner:
BY Thomas Costello, President 7717 
While attending the National Convention in Chicago, IL our district representatives took the opportunity to hold meetings concerning our new Qwest contract and concerns regarding certain articles relating to Pager duty and incidental and mandatory overtime. 

The pager allowance codes and examples have been issued to the Area Representatives Monty Orr and Jeff Lambert. Please contact either one for questions and concerns as to contract language on this matter. 

The bargaining agents on both sides of the table are still clarifying the incidental overtime issue. Resolving accurate examples of incidental overtime and how to code mandatory versus incidental overtime on timesheets. 
Schedule change codes were also made available at this meeting. Any change made to an employees schedule with less than 24 hours notification should show SC1 for tracking purposes and $1.00 for the change. Changes made to an affixed schedule before 24 hrs should reflect and SC5 code also for tracking and $5 per change. This includes A-day cancellations, OTM requirements placed upon the employee with in the notification time frames mentioned. Please contact your work groups Steward or Area Representative if any questions arise from schedule changes.

Presidential candidates from the Democratic Party were also present at the convention. The message was quite simple from all speakers.

WE the working people of America need to take back the Whitehouse and stop the assault
on working families in this nation.

While the theme was the similar throughout the speeches, plans differ as how to achieve this goal candidate to candidate. Our National President Morton Bahr is planning to poll all CWA members as to which candidate CWA will endorse nationally in 2004. Information is available via the web on the Democratic and Republican sites as to candidates and issues. Coverage of debates and hometown meetings is also available for viewing on C-span. All are encouraged to take part in deciding where and to whom our support as a Union shall go. Information shall be made available via the web site & work site bulletin boards as to where and how to place your opinion on this matter.

The convention also applauded the organizational techniques and mobilization efforts of both Verizon District Offices. The power of uniting in all activities and mobilizing multiple areas along the east coast and across the nation at wireless stores proves to be a standard all CWA offices shall look to in the future.

The ability to force the company to pay scab laborers to stay in hotels and wait for work while our union brothers and sisters continued to work and collect pay checks while contract negotiations continued was tactically back breaking for Verizon. The threat of a strike never diminished through all negotiations. The thought of 78,000 employees walking a picket line for 52 up-state NY wireless workers that voted to unionize through a bargained for card check baffled the company even more.
Senator Hillary Clinton called President Bahr during the convention to inform him that recent conversations with Verizon management had them bewildered to the notion of all those workers standing up for 50 upper NY wireless workers. Her response was simple, that is CWA!!!

The time is now to prepare for bargaining again in 22 months. Preparation for state and district organizing should begin now and be put in place on around this time next year. The unity of CWA from North Carolina to Maine caught the attention and support of politicians and the public across the nation. As the Colorado State Council Organizer I will stress the importance of rapid mobilization and the need for and efficient plan of preparedness for our next round of negotiations with Qwest.

As a local we will continue with RED Thursday. Wearing red on Thursdays throughout local agreements will increase our presence at work sites and assist in the bargaining of these agreements with management. The Colorado director of outside plant operations may still be envisioning the sea of red he encountered during the summer while at 1900 57th court. 

My message is simple, in order to achieve substantial improvements contractually we as a bargaining unit must become one. Our message must be made prior to beginning negotiations with Qwest. When statements and actions are heard and seen through out the fourteen states the company will realize our issues are strong and supported by the membership who when provoked will strike.

Mobilization:
Special thanks goes out to Vice-President Herman Romero, Area Representative Jeff Lambert, and State Safety Council member Paul Rozinek for their quick response of CWA national mobilization against Verizon Wireless. All responded with less than 48 hours notice to President Bahr’s call on all locals to proceed with informational picketing against all stores throughout the entire nation. They responded with pickets and flyers to Boulder’s 28th Street store on August 28th. Great job to all three!

Local Agreement Proposals:
All local bargaining forms need to be completed and handed to a steward or area representative by 
Friday October 17, 2003. The local bargaining committee shall review and evaluate all proposals to assist the committee in preparation of Local agreements.

Website:
Our local webmasters have informed the executive board that our web address has been registered as WWW.CWA7717.COM. The site is still under construction and will be a valuable tool for members and officers. All are encouraged to visit the site for updated information on all union programs.

YOU CAN….. 
WEINGARTEN RIGHTS ACCORDING TO LAW 
Whenever management questions an employee to obtain information and the employee has a reasonable belief that discipline or other adverse consequences may result, the employee has the right to request and have a union steward present during the meeting.
The employee can request Union representation before or at any time during the meeting.

When an employee asks for Union representation the employer must choose from among three options:
1. Grant the request and delay questioning until a Union Representative arrives.
2. Deny the request and end the interview immediately. 
3. Give the employee a choice of:
A. having the interview without representation or:
B. Ending the interview.
If the employer denies the request for representation and continues the meeting, the employee can refuse to answer all questions.

EXAMPLES
An employee questioned about an accident would be justified in fearing that the company might, after hearing answers to certain company questions, blame the employee for the accident.

An employee questioned about poor work would have a reasonable fear of disciplinary action if he should admit to making errors.

YOU CAN....Ask for Union Representation|
YOU CAN....Ask for a specific Job Steward 
YOU CAN....Expect your requests to be granted
YOU CAN....Return unsafe work
YOU CAN....File a grievance if these rights a not honored
YOU CAN....Expect to see more education about your rights from your Local

Stewards Call:
The by-laws of the local call for all stewards to be present at general membership meetings. Unless excused for reason in advance. Since meetings have been reduced by 75% all stewards will be expected to adhere to this by law.

SAFETY & HEALTH:
Paul Rozinek attended the State Council Safety Meeting in Cheyene, WY the last week of July. Paul reported to the committee the problems in ordering certain safety items essential to a safe work enviorment. Anyone experiencing problems receiving safety equipment or unsure of job safety please contact Paul Rozinek at the union hall.

The dark days of fall have come. Let us remember, “No Job is so important and no matter so urgent, that We can not take the time to perform our work in a safe manner”. While working after dark remember to illuminate all work areas and inform neighbors and customers of your presence. Aerial work should have well illuminated areas on top of the ladder and at the base. If problems do arise with managers as to the safety of a job please call our Safety Council member Paul Rozinek or any union officer at the Union hall. Messages will be sent via pager immediately. 

Remember if the situation has a eminent risk of severe injury or death you may refuse to perform such work until the situation has been corrected or investigated by both the union and company. Never leave the job site until instructed to by a supervisor, you are still on the job until instructed by the company as to how they will handle the safety situation.

Many company safety inspectors have been popping up on worksites lately. Some instances have resulted in discipline. Let us all take our time and work to get home safely. Think safety first!

Organizing:
Local organizing activity has increased recently. President Costello and V.P. Romero have held meetings with National Organizer Ralph Montefusco Concerning 7717’s role in assisting with the 

Our new contract with Qwest also has a neutrality clause for organizing non-supervisory management positions. District organizers are preparing and investigating such management positions that would be the most receptive to the idea. Many of these managers have been in or had experience with our union. 

Other leads have been presented of a health care facility in Boulder and a joint campaign of organizing workers in this field from Denver to Boulder.

Education:
Applications for the 2004 Union Plus Scholarship program are now available. To download an 
application go to www.unionplus.org/scholarships or send a postcard with your name, return address, telephone number and union affiliation to:

Union Plus Education Foundation
c/o Union Privilege
P.O. Box 34800
Washington, DC 20043-4800.

The application deadline is January 31, 2004. Recipients' names for the 2004 program will be announced on May 31, 2004. However, due to the high volume of applications, only winners will be notified. 

CWANETT Training offered in Denver Now:
The Communications Workers of America National Education and Training Trust (CWANETT) provides education and training opportunities to CWA members. Through arrangements with the Department of Labor, we are currently offering training to veterans and those on active duty in the military. 

The training offered addresses the needs of candidates looking to enter the industry and workers wanting to update their skills to keep current with changing technologies. Employment referral is also available through CWA/NETT. 

The CWA/NETT establishes partnerships with manufacturers and distributors of telecommunications and IT equipment for the purpose of developing training curriculum and delivering instruction that meets the needs of employers. 

Training is delivered both in traditional academic classroom settings and through distance learning. Instruction leads to certifications recognized throughout the industry, such as Cisco CCNA and CompTIA A+ with Aries Multimedia.

The Union
By Monty Orr ; Area Representative 7717
The Union----“Hey, that’s the organization that gets our dues every month”

The Union---- Yeah, that’s those guys who handle our grievances Cont top..^

The Union---- They’re the ones that bargain our contract

The Union---- No, the Union, that’s Tommy & the other officers, oh yeah, and the Stewards

WRONG !

The Union is US. You, me and all of the other members, WE are the Union! Tommy and the other Local Officers, the job stewards and all of the people working in the District and National offices up to & including our National CWA President, Morty Bahr are NOT the Union, they are
merely our representatives. We, you & I, elect these representatives. All of our Union Representatives are either elected or, appointed by people we elected.

Some representatives we elect directly, by casting our ballots, such as our Local officers and delegates. These delegates, (a fancy word for representatives) attend District Meetings & National Conventions to conduct the business of our Union. An important part of this business is to elect our District Vice-President & our National Officers.

OK, so what are these representatives supposed to do for us? According to our CWA Constitution, written & approved by our elected representatives the mission of our Union is:

(a) To unite workers within its jurisdiction in a single cohesive labor union for the purpose of collective effort; (Put simply, to get workers to join together in a union, one union, trying together);

(b) To improve the conditions of the workers with respect to wages, hours, working conditions and other conditions of employment; ( Put simply, to help us make more money, work less hours at jobs where we are treated fairly & with due respect)

(c) To disseminate information among the workers respecting economic, social, political and other matters affecting their lives & welfare; ( Put simply, to keep us informed about things that affect us & our families)

(d) To advance the interests of the workers by advocating the enactment of laws beneficial to them and the defeat or repeal of laws detrimental to them; ( Put simply, to help us by using our collective strength to influence the legal system for our best interest);

(e) To do all things which may be necessary or proper to secure for the workers the enjoyment of their natural rights.

( Now that sounds simple enough)

To sum it all up,

THE ONLY REASON WE EXIST AS A UNION IS TO HELP OURSELVES, COLLECTIVELY.

This is the first of a series of articles I will write about US, the Union 
--Monty Orr

National C.W.A. News

Verizon Loses Bid to Block Free Speech
September 22, 2003
The U.S. District Court for the state of New Jersey on Sept. 15 dismissed the contempt of court charge that Verizon Wireless brought against CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen as part of the ongoing case over CWA's parodying a company slogan in ads blasting the Verizon layoffs last year. 

CWA applauded the ruling by Judge Mary L. Cooper and stressed that Verizon Wireless's action was nothing short of another attempt to regulate and control free speech. Judge Cooper has taken under advisement CWA's motion to dismiss Verizon Wireless's overall attempt to keep the union from making reference to the slogan, "Can you hear me now." 

"That Verizon obtained the information it used to bring this charge in a fraudulent manner is a matter of serious concern," CWA said in a statement. The charge was based on informal remarks by Cohen in a private conference call with select news reporters. Two executives from Verizon's investor relations unit secretly listened in on the call, prompting CWA to file its own suit charging a violation of federal wire tapping laws. 

Any Verizon employee who committed a similar abuse would be fired immediately under the company's code of conduct, yet Verizon has taken no action against these executives, CWA pointed out.

Citing Verizon's "aggressive and acrimonious posture" toward workers and CWA, "characterized by incessant litigation," CWA stated: "Verizon and its shareholders would benefit more from building a constructive relationship with CWA based on mutual trust and respect. That's the direction every other major telecom company has taken and this high road approach to labor relations has produced positive results all around."

"Bad Example" in the Washington Post this week:
When President Bush was championing his so-called "jobs and growth" tax cut proposal in April, he went to Timken Co., a maker of steel bearings in Canton, Ohio. "The greatest strength of the American economy is found right here," Bush said, predicting the tax cut would bring "more money for investment, more money for growth, and more money for jobs."

Now, four months after Bush signed the $350 billion tax cut bill, Timken has announced that it is cutting 900 jobs and lowering its earnings forecasts.

The International Association of Firefighters added 77 names to its national memorial in Colorado Springs this week, honoring those firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty over the past year.

Hundreds of families and IAFF members attended the 17th annual ceremony. IAFF President Harold Schaitberger called the event "a fitting and respectful tribute to the firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice."

More Americans Living in Poverty Today than in the 1990s
Sept. 26—The U.S. Census Bureau reported today that incomes are falling and poverty growing in the United States—a reflection of the millions of jobs lost since President George W. Bush took office combined with an array of ill-advised administration tactics and policies.

The percentage of Americans living in poverty jumped to 12.1 percent in 2002—representing nearly 34.6 million people—up from 11.7 percent in 2001, according to the report. Median household income—meaning half of households earned more and half earned less—fell again for the third year in a row to $42,409, dropping 1.1 percent between 2001 and 2002.

Meanwhile, Bush has been fighting to take away workers’ overtime pay and decrease taxes for millionaires—policies not designed to address the net 3.3 million private-sector jobs lost since early 2001, union leaders say.

“All this comes on top of other disturbing trends affecting Americans,” says AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “The official unemployment rate is up to 6.1 percent nationally—from 4.1 percent in January of 2001and has risen in 49 states and the District of Columbia and merely held steady in the remaining state."

At the same time, says Sweeney, “the manufacturing sector has lost jobs for 37 straight months, with 2.5 million well-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs gone just since Bush took office.

Grievance Update:

Communication Workers of America
Local 7717
PO Drawer 3467
Boulder, CO 80307

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