WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A new tentative three-year contract settlement with Verizon achieves union employees’ major goals of promoting union jobs and expanding bargaining rights, providing good health care for both active and retired workers, and increasing wages and pensions for 65,000 workers from Virginia to Maine, the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers reported.

The issue of health costs and benefits was a major focus of the talks, as it has been in contract negotiations in virtually every industry. The settlement preserves fully-paid health care premiums for all active and retired employees.

Click here to read the full press release on the IBEW International Website.

Click here for a contract summary on the IBEW Local 2222.

Click here to see pictures at the union solidarity rally against Verizon in Boston.

Bush Administration Rushes to Change Workplace Toxin Rules

Despite a White House deadline of June 1 on new regulations, political appointees in the Department of Labor have been given the go-ahead to change workplace risk assessment regulations without consulting scientists and safety experts within OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Washington Post Staff Writer Carol D. Leonnig exposed the truth in her July 23rd article. [More]

Local 21 Charges Comcast with Unlawful Surveillance & Interference

IBEW Local 21 concluded a four day hearing at the NLRB on a series of objections and unfair labor practice charges filed against Comcast. Several workers who participated in the campaign to organize technicians, customer service representatives and warehouse workers testified on behalf of the union. [More]

Union Solidarity Outings – Minor League Baseball & Six Flags Theme Parks

IBEW Local 21 is hosting several Solidarity Events during summer 2008. All members are encouraged to come out to one or more of these events, bring your family, and enjoy good times with co-workers and their friends and families as well. [More]

IBEW Local 21 News for Members at AT&T

IBEW Local 21 has received reports from some members in the Engineering offices in Blue Island, Joliet, and Arlington Heights regarding identity theft issues which at least appear to be work related. This matter is currently under investigation by AT&T, and because it is an ongoing investigation, we don’t have many details available. Any member who believes that they have been directly impacted should call the company’s Client Services at 1-800-832-2998. [More]

AT&T Premise Technician News

Local 21 Representatives continue meeting with AT&T over a number of issues needing resolve for the Premise Technicians and we can report that as a result of those meetings, AT&T has agreed to address our concerns over starting pay rates and wage adders, the posting of work schedules, detail related per diems, overtime distribution, cancellation of work tours, along with pay relating to temporary work locations. [More]

Mobilizing Your Co-workers

Almost every issue thrown at us by today's employers can be more easily dealt with the support of co-workers. With a united workforce, when the union needs something done, stewards have co-workers to call on for assistance. Mobilizing co-workers involves four key steps: organizing, educating, targeting an issue and taking collective action. [More]

IBEW Local 21 President-Business Manager Joins Illinois AFL-CIO Executive Board

The Illinois State AFL-CIO appointed President-Business Manager Ronald E. Kastner to the Illinois State AFL-CIO Executive Board to fill an unexpired term for Brother Dave Barger, who resigned late last month. Representing one million union members in the state, the Illinois AFL-CIO is the umbrella organization and the voice of all working families in the state. [More]

“RAW” POWER AT IBEW LOCAL 21

* The following article is reprinted in full with permission

CAPITOL FAX, by Rich Miller

FRIDAY, May 16, 2008

RAW POWER House Speaker Michael Madigan is raising some eyebrows with the way he’s pushing a bill that puts some onerous restrictions on telecommunications giant AT&T. Among other things, the bill would mandate that the phone company return to its 2005 employment levels for maintenance and repair workers. If the company failed to comply it would be forbidden to mandate overtime for its union workers, except in dire emergencies. The corporation would also have to inform the state of its future plans to construct new cable TV systems for customers. [More]

United States Supreme Court says AT&T is NOT above the Law

As many members are aware, Local 21 sued AT&T in federal court after they refused to arbitrate a grievance our Union filed opposing an unjust performance management program in its Consumer Business Unit. Local 21 won that case in federal court.

AT&T appealed that decision to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals which also decided in favor of Local 21. The Company then appealed that decision to the United States Supreme Court.

On March 17, 2008, , the highest court in the land rejected AT&T’s appeal and in doing so let stand our victory at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals which will force AT&T to arbitrate this grievance. This precedent-setting decision is one of the most significant court decisions in the country on Arbitrability in the last 20 years and will likely be relied upon by many other labor unions for years to come!

President/Business Manager Ron Kastner extends his personal thanks to all members who supported this effort through various means - such as the providing of affidavits and other evidence our Union utilized in achieving this historic victory. By getting involved with our union, you played a major role in a significant court ruling that benefits all union workers!

Local 21 Members March in Chicago’s South Side Irish Parade

IBEW Local 21 members and their families joined together in the 2008 30th Annual South Side Irish Parade on Sunday, March 9, 2008. Click here for a short video via YouTube.

2008 Cost of Living Increase Set at AT&T
IBEW Local 21 has confirmed the amount of the wage increase to be effective June 22nd of this year. You may recall in 2004 bargaining, our Union successfully negotiated a COLA (cost of living adjustment) to be applied to the wage increases effective in the last 2 years of the contract. The COLA adjustment provision that our Union won in 2004 bargaining is different from previous COLA adjustments, which were only paid as lump sum payments. This adjustment is added directly to wage rates. When the COLA adjustment is added to the previously negotiated wage increase, the total wage increase becomes 3.72%. That is over a dollar an hour increase for many job titles. For example, this will bring the hourly rate of a Wage Group 1 Tech to $31.45 per hour. Service Reps’ pay will increase to over $56,000 annually. President/Business Manager Ron Kastner thanks all members for their solidarity during our last bargaining. It’s because of our unity that our Union is able to negotiate contract provisions like this one.

In other news, the Team Performance Award payout for 2007 will be at 95% rate, which equates to a payout of $500 in March. In addition, the Lump Sum Payout (also negotiated in 2004 bargaining) will be $375 to be paid in July of this year.

The Employee Free Choice Act
Supported by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, H.R. 800, S. 1041 would enable working people to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions by restoring workers’ freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union. The Employee Free Choice Act would:

Establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations.
Provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes.
Allow employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.

On September 25,2007 in Chicago, AFL-CIO Organizing Director Stewart Acuff strongly rejected the arguments of deceit from union-busting law firm Jackson-Lewis during a lively debate on the Employee Free Choice Act. Click here or on the image above to see the Debate Highlights via You Tube.

Hurricane Katrina and the Working People of New Orleans
IBEW Local 21 and 70 other labor reporters hit the streets of New Orleans during the month of October to track down and write the stories of the city's workers' loss, desperation, hopes and struggles. ILCA Labor communicators from across North America are demonstrating the power of labor's voice by producing video, audio, photography and text stories and are continuing to post them on the ILCA Convention website at NewOrleansLaborMedia.org. Check it out.

Comcast News and Bargaining Updates
November 28, 2007 Update

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