General Membership:

The last General Membership of the Local was attended by over 20% of the membership. The meeting included a mid year review of the financial status of the local, Political and Legislative reports of conferences attended in Washington D.C. and the State Capitol by Steward Casey Goddard and Vice-President Herman Romero. The meeting also included the approval of 10 new members from Ft. Collins and Greeley into our Local through the Outside Sales Representative positions that report to our Flatirons Ct location. Members attending the meeting also approved the Local’s Bargaining priorities presented to the District bargaining committee.

This quarters General Membership meeting will be held at La Familia Restaurant in Lafayette. The meeting will have a dinner that will begin at 6:00 pm and the start of the meeting will be at 6:45. All members are encouraged to attend; family members are welcome as usual. Meeting topics so far include the approval of new Election Committee members David Janke and Rich Thomson. Also financial updates of the Local, and Bargaining and Mobilization updates from our district committees. 
Members working past the proposed dinner hour will still be have an opportunity to eat just inform the waitress upon arrival. We are looking forward for a great turnout for this meeting and members please remember to wear RED!

Presidents Corner:
by Thomas Costello, President 7717 

At the Qwest Bargaining Unit meeting there was much discussion regarding the Consumer organization and the ongoing outsourcing of work, but the new agreement regarding the new titles of CSA and CSSA will bring approximately 1200 jobs back into the bargaining unit. The company had determined it will be increasing the availability quota for Sales. For the Outside Sales Reps the company and the union have reached agreement to allow this group to sell a limited range of small business products. The down side of this agreement is that their sales quota has jumped again, only this time the increase is significant. The company has announced an increase expectation of $8,000 a month for these employees. The jump from 12k to 20k a month for these employees is significant due to the fact that in the state of Colorado only about 20% of the OSR team has met their objectives. The Company has offered little in terms of valuable coaching for these employees and continues to raise their benchmarks. The need to move the OSR’s into our traditional contract and to stop classifying their job function as a trial is a significant bargaining proposal through this round of bargaining.

After a long wait, the merger of AT&T wireless and Cingular Wireless is completed. This merger provides CWA with an opportunity to organize at Cingular without interference from the Company. Due to the excellent working relationship between CWA and Cingular’s parent company SBC, the union has the right to talk with Cingular workers about being represented. The Locals in Colorado have met to develop an organizing strategy for Cingular. Cingular is the only CWA represented wireless communications provider. All CWA members will receive a discount if they sign up for Cingular service. For more information visit the CWA national website at www.cwa-union.org.

At Qwest we are embarking on our first round of full blown bargaining in 7 years. It will be tough and will take the same dedication the membership demonstrated in 1998 to secure a fair agreement. This year is going to be especially challenging considering the anti worker mentality by the current administration in D.C. and the corporations that fund them. Right now workers are being attacked at every turn. We are besieged with anti- union legislation and anti- union supporters to stop our right to organize, and our right to collective bargaining. This can only change by our membership’s willingness to mobilize our issues on the shop floor, in the community and in the legislature. This year at Qwest we are going to need everyone to do this. Whatever the call to action is, we all need to fight for our future. Our health care benefits depend on it. Our raise depends on it. Remember this as they raise your productivity numbers and not your wages. Tell the company, “We are the Front Line, Not the Bottom Line.” 

And as we speak of wages, look at the Qwest annual report that was sent out at the end of May. If your lack of compensation makes you sick then you must look at pages 21-33 of the insert. This insert describes the Executives compensation for 2002, 2003 and 2004. Example: EVP Paula Kruger, she went from a base of $130,000 in 2003 to $400, 000 in 2004. Remember this when we mobilize to get our raise and maintain our health benefits. Barry Allen said it all recently in Boulder when addressing members there we can’t continue to afford people like this, while they attack our healthcare, pensions, and even our salaries! Now it’s our turn remember we showed our spirit in ’03, make them show us theirs in ‘05!!

Bargaining Report:
The Collective Bargaining Process

An Inside Look…..

With our District Bargaining team preparing to enter into negotiations with Qwest, a lot of members have been asking questions about the process and what to expect. This article will hopefully allow all of us to have more of an insight into what our elected CWA bargaining team members will be going through.

The first thing to remember is that the company is not coming into negotiations to give us what we want. The company has a realistic understanding about the maximum they want to spend. If the company can get by with spending less it will!

Second is that our team is elected to the bargaining table democratically, not appointed like the company representatives. Our team asked to represent all of us at the table and has invested personal time and sacrificed to leave home just for this opportunity, where as many company representatives have been told they will be there and have been paid for all their preparation leading into negotiations. We also submit proposals by the members, proposals that have been voted on and discussed as a group as to the benefit of the membership and relayed to our bargaining team. Since there is a maximum amount the bargaining committee can get the issues had to be clearly defined and be given priority by the membership of the district.

The next step is to decide when the negotiations will begin, June 22, 2005. Once begun the committees on both sides of the table will discuss miscellaneous details such as hours of negotiations, holidays off. After all the preliminaries are settled the company will usually open with a speech as to why they have no money and how the employees are comparatively overpaid to market value. This is all done in nice language and posturing, however the bottom line is that the company wants to spend as little as possible.

Next the management team will usually pass a proposal of change to some part of the contract that they are interested in changing. Usually the proposal first issued is a non-essential item for the company, just an ice breaker. High profile items such as health care and wage increases will be held till later. The proposal will be read and questions can be asked, the union can also ask to see supporting documents as to the company’s proposal for the change. However interesting enough many past union team members say requesting information sometimes is the hardest thing in bargaining, requests may have to be made several times to ensure that the right information is provided. Especially, if the issue concerns data about expenses of the company.

As the bargaining continues more and more proposals will be offered, and the union will offer a counter proposal showing we believe a better way may be possible. It is also interesting that while it will usually take management at least a day to read and offer a counter to a union proposal, we can usually counter a company proposal within hours of receiving one from management.

This process will continue for weeks, with simpler issues being resolved fairly quickly and easily. As we get closer to the deadline the remaining issues are usually the more difficult complex issues like wages, benefits, costs, etc.

As time gets shorter the sessions of bargaining will increase, and become more difficult and intense. It is not unheard of for meetings to go 16-18 hours as the last days come to a close. In the last 48 hours many times there will be no stopping the negotiations at all just a few breaks.

Bargaining team members work very hard and prepare for months in advance, there is a lot of research and evaluation that must go on to accomplish our goal of getting a fair contract. Your union brothers and sisters that have volunteered and offered their services for this committee take on the monumental task, pressure and stress of ensuring the best deal for all.

Offer your support by mobilizing within the local on all activities and applaud their efforts on your behalf.

Safety & Health:

Fight The Bite
Defend Yourself Against Mosquitoes:

DRAIN standing water around the house weekly since it’s where mosquitoes lay eggs, including:
tires, cans, flowerpots, clogged rain gutters, rain barrels, toys and puddles.

DUSK & DAWN are when mosquitoes that carry the virus are most active., so limit
outdoor activities or take precautions to prevent mosquito bites.

DEET is an effective ingredient to look for in insect repellents. Always follow label
instructions carefully.

DRESS in long sleeves and pants during dawn and dusk or in areas where mosquitoes are
active.

West Nile Virus disease is rare, but if you have symptoms including high fever, severe
headache and stiff neck, contact your health care provider immediately.

Join the “Swat Team” against West Nile Virus
www.fightthebitecolorado.com

District 7 Conference:

The District Conference was held this year in Denver from Saturday April 23 thru Wednesday April 27. Our local participation in this meeting included serving as part of the Host Committee, donating a Basket of Boulder and Colorado goodies that included Boulder chips, Boulder Beer, a tour guides book on Colorado, packages of Celestial Seasonings Tea and various other state knickknacks. The local also was represented by various members during the meeting. Rich Thomson, Eric Schneider, Casey Goddard & Angie Gillum were all present during the meeting. Many thanks go out to all these members for dedicating their time and days off to be present during this meeting.

There were two portions of the meeting this year being a bargaining year. The main part was our traditional conference meeting that included all the bargaining units of the District. The second part was the Qwest Bargaining Unit Meeting in which all locals convene to review all the bargaining proposals presented to the district office and decide on the importance and necessity of each proposal to be carried forth to the bargaining table.

Our members that were present at the main part of the conference received presentations from two different Professors on economic issues affecting all of us as of today and into our futures. The first presentation was from Professor David Osterberg of the University of Iowa, “Common Sense Economics”. Much of the presentation dealt with the poverty line set by the federal government for a family is $18,000 a year. In fact the amount stated by many states needed to support a family of four is quite a bit higher. Professor Osterberg stated that in Iowa a family needs to make about $33,000 a year make ends meet. And the fact that a single parent supporting 2 children needs to make $13.80 and hour to make ends meet, however the state median income is $13.01. This simply means that half the families in the state are living below the poverty level.

Also discussed was the hours worked by Americans in the past 25 years. From 1979 -1989 the middle class of American families worked on the average 2993 hours a year. From 1997-1999 the middle class worked 3803 hours a year, an increase of 810 hrs a year. Simply stated we are working harder today then 25 years ago.

Now for the sobering fact, from 1980-2000 the middle class workers in America has seen their real income remain the same or stagnant. This justifies that we as middle class workers are working harder today for the same income of 25 years ago. The impact on us as workers is less time with our families, more professional, personal, & financial stress equaling a less healthy lifestyle.

The other Presentation was from Doug Orr, Professor of Economics; Washington University. Professor Orr’s presentation “Social Security and Pensions” touched on the debate happening in Washington DC on Social Security Reform. He sited changes in America and how we risk manage our lives. Today many Americans are on their own as compared to the past where community aid was more readily available from our neighbors. This sparked the idea for the formation of pensions into our bargaining process, by our Union brother and sisters of the past.

Some points of his presentation are as follows:

• In America today, 6% of those 65 or older live in Poverty
• A private sector annuity ranges in cost from 15% to above 30% with the mean at 20% administrative costs.
• The administrative cost of Social Security is 7/10 of one percent.
• Historically productivity doubles every 30 years, with that assumption Soc. Security will have excess funds in 2052.
• The Bush assumption of economic growth is 1.8%
• The only ten year period of growth that low was during 
  the Great Depression.
• Great Britain moved to private accounts in the 70’s and now are experiencing massive poverty among retirees.
• Social Security is insurance not an Investment fund.
• The U.S. is the only nation in the world that does not pay Social Security out of operating expenses of the government.

Simple solutions not being discussed about Social Security Reform are to:

• Tax Monies in excess of $90,000, currently this is where Social Security tax cuts off for those who earn more than 90k a year. (Bill Gates pays off SS in 15 min every New Year)
• Use real economic growth numbers for projecting the systems future.
• Tax all earnings not just wages and salaries

What is clear is that Privatization of Social Security has one guaranteed benefactor, the corporate firms on Wall Street that will charge us and control the investments in the future.

Qwest Bargaining Unit Meeting

Immediately after the District 7 Conference the Bargaining Unit Meeting for Qwest was held to review and vote on proposed Bargaining Issues submitted by the Local’s of the District. After the D7 office receives all the proposals a book is created with each proposal listed by contract Article # for all the delegates at the meeting. Each proposal is then discussed, and voted on by the delegates at the meeting. There were over 200 proposals at this years meeting. There were proposals for every article of the contract.

Those attending the meeting were also provided information from our Washington DC office specific to the “State of Qwest”. While it was clear that Qwest is not the most financially secure of the telecom companies, there has been a significant improvement of their financial condition over the past 2 years. 

Qwest has displayed some of this financial prosperity with their attempt to purchase MCI, and Notebart’s public commitment to acquire other entities. These statements and actions along with bonuses paid to managers throughout the company, including Dick’s 11.1 million in ’04 show the company is definitely better off than 2 years ago.

It is no secret that the most important issues to you are the maintenance of our health care coverage, a wage increase, and job security, along with the preservation of retiree benefits. All locals where in consensus that we have given in on health care already and that our benefits are already were the other RBOCS will be at the end of their current contracts. Also in consensus is the fact that we have had no wage increase in three years while managers have definitely received increased wage disbursement during this time. And that although their where improvements made to Job Security last contract, we must still seek to solidify even stronger contractual language in this area.

Other significant Issues were:

• The new upgrade and transfer process was identified as a key problem in relation to
• Seniority
• Improvement in the current successorship clause
• Scheduling
• Delete incidental OT, and reduce current Mandatory OT hours
• BRI, OSR, & Kiosks integrated into current contract

Many other issues will be brought to the table, some will address the grievance process, some will affect particular work groups not represented by our local, and some will affect us all. The issues listed above a just some of the highlights of the proposals agreed to be sent to the bargaining table.

National News
The Best is Yet to Come……..
By Thomas Costello

The actions of our Local reflect the commitment to build a 21st century labor movement that can bring hope and a plan of action for a better life, to a new generation of workers. We recognize that today's realities-a new global economy, unrestrained corporate power, hostile government-present a formidable challenge to our local and our movement. But, we must always remember that from our greatest challenges come our greatest accomplishments.

Labor in the 20th century stood at its lowest point in the 1930s. But, at our lowest point, we also stood on the verge of our greatest growth, our greatest strength and our greatest impact on the economy and society. From the depths of economic depression in 1935, the labor movement rose, within 20 years, to our largest percentage of the workforce, and we created the working middle class.

Today workers face the steady erosion of their power in the workplace, in the economy and in the political process. Rising profits, increasing productivity and a growing economy have not brought rising wages, better benefits, or economic security. In fact just the opposite has occurred, significant bottom line commitments from Corporations and increasing benefits for upper level management have occurred. There is a power imbalance between workers and the giant corporations that dominate the world economy.

Our local and national union is committed to readdressing this imbalance, and to rebuilding worker power.

Rebuilding worker power will give workers the hope for a better future. Workers with hope will organize, they will stand up, and they will act in solidarity at work, in the community and in the political process. The starting point for our new movement to rebuild worker power is here, and it starts with us.

This is the beginning of a new era in our Union with a new International President taking office within the next few months. Larry Cohen will be succeeding Morton Bahr as the next President of the CWA International Union. Mr. Cohen has had a long history in organizing and standing up for 
workers rights. As we move toward our future Mr. Cohen has expressed the need for all District and Local offices to continue to work the three sides of the CWA Triangle and to commit resources especially towards organizing and building our union philosophy towards all workers not just telecommunications. Our job is to not only help ensure that we return the labor movement to where we were before, however to a new and dominant presence within the workforce of the American people.

Health Care Reform Could Save Money While Insuring All, Research Shows

Reforming the nation's badly broken health care system would generate savings of at least $320 billion within 10 years and possibly more than $1 trillion, according to proposals being put forth by the broad-based National Coalition on Health Care reform.

CWA and other unions are among members of the non-partisan coalition, which also includes large and small businesses, consumer, religious and primary care provider groups, and the country's largest health and pension funds.

Laying out four scenarios for change at a recent press briefing in Washington, D.C., Coalition President Henry Simmons said the findings are "unambiguous" in showing enormous cost savings while improving health care and providing coverage for all Americans.

"In short, health care reform is a good investment, a crucial investment, for our nation and our people," said Simmons, a medical doctor who served various posts in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations.

The proposals for change include requiring employers to provide health care coverage, expanding public health insurance programs, creating new public programs and establishing a universal publicly financed system.

In all cases, independent analyses by a researcher specializing in health care financing showed billions in savings through cost management and covering the uninsured, with the universal system providing the largest savings, an estimated $1.136 trillion by 2015. The analyses used conservative fiscal assumptions and Congressional Budget Office methodology, the coalition said.

Without changes researcher Kenneth Thorpe, head of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Emory University in Atlanta, said not only will costs continue to skyrocket but also the number of uninsured Americans will rise by at least another 8 million within 10 years, to more than 54 million.

CWA President Morton Bahr urged union families to put pressure on government leaders to review the proposals and begin taking action. "The health care crisis is one of the gravest threats to our country," Bahr said. "It affects not only the physical health of our citizens, but the fiscal health of our states, communities, schools and households. Unless we get the costs under control soon and ensure that everyone has medical coverage, our standard of living is destined to decline."Robert Ray, coalition co-chair and former Republican governor of Iowa, agreed. "The materials released today make a strong case that for serious economic, as well as health, reasons, we - as a nation we- must act on health care reform now," Ray said.

Commentary on the Industries We Work In

Say It Ain't So, Joe !!!!!
Motley Fool 
By Tim Beyers

Spend enough time reading business headlines, and you'd be forced to conclude that CEOs are unwitting pawns victimized by oppressive regulators. Witness the know-nothing plea from former Qwest (NYSE: Q - News) CEO Joe Nacchio. In a filing last week here in Denver, Nacchio's attorneys said that fraud charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission are groundless because they focus on Nacchio's public statements, rather than insider knowledge of an accounting scheme. 
Specifically, the statement argues that the SEC "...failed to allege any facts showing that Nacchio circumvented or failed to implement a system of accounting controls at Qwest (much less that he did so 'knowingly,')" according to a recent story in The Denver Post. Hmmm, sounds bad. Maybe we ought to review the actual charges against Nacchio.

The government's complaint alleges that Nacchio and others misled investors by mischaracterizing one-time asset sales as recurring revenue in public statements. And that, says the SEC, constitutes fraud. Nacchio's attorneys disagree, of course, saying in the filing that it is impossible to "verify objectively (Nacchio's) subjective remarks."

Really? Let's take just one, from December 2000. In this press release, Nacchio said he was reaffirming guidance for revenue and earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes, and amortization (EBIDTA) for 2000 and 2001. Why? He apparently wanted to make it clear that Qwest was in better shape than ailing competitors.

Now look at the key quote: "Qwest believes it is not having the same problems announced by several competitors because Qwest has newer assets, a lower cost position and a product line targeted to capitalize on the high-growth sectors of the industry." Nice.

Fast-forward to 19 months later. In July 2002, barely a month after Nacchio resigned, Qwest announced it would need to restate earnings for 1999, 2000, and 2001. Why? Qwest's questionable accounting policy regarding capacity and asset sales. 
Did Nacchio know Qwest's asset sales were being misclassified as he guided towards higher earnings? I have no idea. But we may know soon. Reuters reports that former Qwest CFO Robin Szeliga has agreed to plead guilty to insider trading and will cooperate in the ongoing investigation, acknowledging that she knew the company wasn't as good as management had led investors to believe. Prosecutors' willingness to cut a deal with her suggests there's at least something worth pursuing.

Nacchio says his comments were just optimistic puffery. Maybe, but his so-called irrational exuberance helped him earn more than $176 million in stock-sale profits over the period the SEC is investigating. At best, he's just another pump-and-dumper -- except that he isn't. Only Nacchio was capable of moving Qwest's stock up by double digits with his statements. Go back to the press release mentioned above. The day Nacchio suited up as Professor Positive, the shares responded by rising more than 10%.

Things just don't look good for Joe. He claims he didn't know of any wrongdoing. That's so Ebbers. But even if Joe is right, and he's guilty of nothing more than excess optimism, who benefited? Joe did. Millions of Joe Oddlot investors didn't. And that alone is shameful enough.

Grievance Report:

Currently there are 6 open grievances throughout the Local. The grievances entail 2 unjust firings for disparity of treatment and failure to properly train; 1 scheduling of employees on traditional off days with out compensation, 1 unjust written warning for sales performance, 1 unjust placement on medical restriction job search which is in recess until the member has a distinguished return to work. Many other issues have been successfully negotiated by your local without use of the grievance procedure for the benefit of the members. The Local will continue to use this option with local management to the satisfaction of the member. However if the member is not satisfied or agreeable to such an outcome the local will continue with a full blown grievance procedure.

Remember This: 

YOUR WEINGARTEN RIGHTS

IF YOU ARE CALLED INTO A MEETING BY ANY COMPANY MANAGER OR CORPORATE SECURITY, PLEASE TELL THEM...

If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my Union Representative, Officer, or Steward be present at the meeting. Without representation, I choose not to answer any questions. It’s the LAW!!

Qwest preps for walkout
Managers warned they may have to assume jobs if pact not reached
By Tom McGhee Denver Post Staff Writer

Qwest has told its managers they may have to take on the jobs of union employees if contract negotiations break down this summer and workers strike.

The Denver-based telecommunications company informed its 16,000 managers in an e-mail Thursday that they won't be allowed time off in the last half of August if a contract agreement has not been reached.

The contract with the Communications Workers of America District 7, which has about 25,000 members employed by Qwest, expires at midnight Aug. 13. Talks are scheduled to begin June 22.

The company's health plan will be the most contentious item in bargaining sessions, predicted LeRoy Christensen, a member of the CWA's bargaining committee.

The present contract calls for Qwest to pay 100 percent of CWA members' coverage. But companies throughout the nation are cutting back on the amount they contribute to health plans, and Christensen expects Qwest to try to do the same.

"We know they will be looking to have us share in some of the increased cost, and we are going to be resisting that," he said. The union also will ask for an approximately 3 percent raise, he said.

Qwest spokesman Bob Toevs said the notification doesn't mean the company expects a strike.

But he said keeping managers on call will assure that if there is a walkout, Qwest can continue to serve its customers. He called the preparations standard operating procedure.

Read September 2005
Read Jan/Feb 2004
Read Nov 2003
Read October 2003

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