 |

P.O. BOX 3862 MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA 24115 Phone: 276-638-2277 Fax: 276-638-3200 |
Updated 09-03-2010
A Kinder,
Gentler sort of Corporate GREED! 09-03-2010
Late Friday, August 27, 2010, CenturyLink filed an 8K with the
SEC, disclosing that its Board of Directors had awarded deferred cash and stock
grants worth $10.2 million to five top executives. According to the
filing, the Board wanted to provide these executives "with
adequate incentives to remain employed with us through the completion of the
merger contemplated under the Merger Agreement (the “Merger”) and for the
critical period thereafter during which we will begin to integrate Qwest into
our operations." The filing is attached.
The details vary a bit (and in any case won't be fully disclosed
until the company files its 3rd quarter 10Q), but the critical thing is that
none of these awards will be made unless
the merger is consummated.
Not a bad incentive to make sure the deal goes through.
Half of the cash awards will be paid upon closing, and the other
half one year thereafter. The stock awards will vest in three equal parts
on the first, second and third anniversaries of the closing. Even if
these top managers lose their jobs prior to the grants being fully paid out,
they are probably protected by yet-to-be disclosed termination and change in
control provisions.
|
Name
|
Number of Shares of Restricted Stock
|
Deferred Cash Award
|
Value of Restricted Stock
|
Total Award Value
|
|
Glen F. Post, III
|
127,317
|
$0
|
$4,593,597
|
$4,593,597
|
|
Karen A. Puckett
|
38,296
|
460,603
|
$1,381,720
|
1,842,323
|
|
R. Stewart Ewing, Jr.
|
34,541
|
415,431
|
$1,246,239
|
1,661,670
|
|
David D. Cole
|
22,400
|
269,423
|
$808,192
|
1,077,615
|
|
Stacey W. Goff
|
21,844
|
262,753
|
$788,132
|
1,050,885
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Value
|
|
$1,408,210
|
$8,817,880
|
$10,226,090
|
|
Dear Sisters and Brothers, 8-20-2010
Congratulations to the three newest members of our local,
Chris Widner, Steve Rogers and Mark Jackson.
Your participation is what will keep our Local strong. I personally look
forward to working with and for you in the future.
Congratulations are also in order to Richard Cook’s son. His
application was chosen during the August membership meeting to receive the
Locals scholarship. I wish his son all success in his endeavors in his college
career.
Mark your calendars: On September 4, 2010 you are all
invited to attend the Labor Day picnic in Coeburn, VA. It is a chance to
fellowship with other Union members from across the Commonwealth and to enjoy a
great meal. The event is sponsored by the Southwest Chapter of the Western
Virginia Labor Federation. Cost is $3.00 per person. There will be live music,
games and door prizes. Please contact me or Steve Bryant for tickets.
Labor Day Picnic
Saturday,
September 4, 2010
Flatwoods
Recreational Area, Coeburn, VA
Noon until 7 p.m.
(Rain or Shine)
The delegates to the 36th Constitutional
Convention of the Virginia AFL-CIO elected Doris Crouse-Mays as President.
Doris is a long-time friend of mine and the first woman President. We nicknamed
her “Hurricane Doris” years ago for her unfailing energy.
Another event rapidly approaching is the “One Nation” march
in Washington D.C., on Saturday, October 2, 2010. When the logistics are
complete, I will post that information here. Currently there are 90,000 bus
seats available for CWA members and families, but where they will leave from
has yet to be decided. If you are tired of the deadlock in the U.S. Senate,
then make plans to join us as we march to let them hear the voice of working
Americans.

|
Dear Sisters and Brothers, 8-02-2010
Report on the 72nd
CWA Convention – The merger of Districts 2 and 13 was approved by the
delegates and will become effective in July 2011. Ron Collins, the current V.P.
of District 2 will move to an administrative assistant position to President
Larry Cohen and District 13 V.P. Ed Moony will seek to be reelected as V.P. of
the combined Districts.
In another move that will make the governing body of the CWA
more streamlined and cost efficient, the delegates voted for a biennial
convention format after 2011. In order to continue to settle appeals in a
timely manner, there will be a Presidents meeting in the non-convention years.
A complete list of resolutions and appeals is available at
the Union Hall if you wish to view them.
|
Sisters and Brothers, 07-17-2010
With the July 15, 2010 approval of District 13 locals the
proposed merger of District 2 and 13 will move forward at the 73rd
CWA National Convention in Washington, D.C. Currently the two districts are the
smallest in terms of membership and geography. District 2 consists of Maryland,
Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Virginia, while District 13 is
Pennsylvania. The proposed merger will bring the combined district more into
line with other districts.
The estimated cost savings of merging the two districts is
$500,000 per year.
If adopted at this year’s convention, the merger will take
effect in July 2011 when a new district president is elected. The combined
district office would be located in Philadelphia.
No changes in staff assignments or local numbers have been
proposed.
After several conference calls and conversations with VP Ron
Collins, I am in support of the merger. I feel it strengthens the two districts
while cutting overhead.
Please feel free to pass along your opinions and questions
about the proposal.
07-17-2010
The continuing saga of forced overtime remains an issue.
I’ll say this again, there is no such thing. Apparently, A. T. Anderson
is unable to come to grips with both the contract and reality. He has told you
that he will pursue “disciplinary action” for those who don’t work his assigned
schedule. Let him. The Union is now prepared to file as many grievances as
necessary backed up with NLRB board charges for violating the contract
against CenturyLink.
|
Sisters and Brothers, 07-02-2010
As you are aware, the Company management is again trying to
“force” you into working as much overtime as you will give them. One
supervisor, A.T. Anderson has
allegedly resorted to threatening peoples jobs. If Mr. Anderson has
communicated a threat to you, please let me know as soon as possible. That sort
of behavior will NOT be tolerated.
Currently, Local 2277, is looking into the possibility of filing NLRB charges
against the Company because of Mr. Anderson’s alleged behavior.
As for the “mandatory, assigned or scheduled” overtime, it
is a farce. Since the language for overtime was removed from the contract, at
the Company’s request, we have had this battle with them. Just remember, they
are not about to change this attitude.
|
Sisters and Brothers,
Please take a moment to read and go online to take the
survey below:
Heat Stress is an
occupational safety and health problem for thousands of CWA members who perform
their work outdoors as well as in residential attics and industrial settings.
In order to increase leader and member awareness and action as well as ensure represented
employers are providing affected workers with safe and healthful working
conditions, the Union has developed the "CWA Heat Stress campaign"
supported by the Telecommunications Strategic Industry Fund. This effort
seeks to create safer working conditions through the education of our members
as we have had several deaths related to heat stress.
As part of this program we will distribute a background education piece and a
survey on industry practices and member issues. Our new fact sheet and
the on-line survey which we will utilize can be accessed on the CWA web
page.
The backgrounder is found at:
http://files.cwa-union.org/national/issues/osh/2010_heatstress.pdf
And the survey can be accessed at: http://www.cwa-union.org/pages/cwa_heat_stress_survey
Most of you have seen
the email about overtime from Rhondi Ferguson. As soon as I saw it, I forwarded
it to CWA Telecom VP Jimmy Gurganus and our rep Carol Summerlyn. Rest assured,
CenturyLink is not going to get away with any attempt to circumvent the
negotiated contract by setting “policies” of their own.
Speaking of policies,
you have by now received an email about the companies “employee handbook”.
Again, CenturyLink will not be allowed to get around the contract by setting a
conflicting agenda. If you would like to see the communications between the
Union and CTL, let me know and I’ll furnish you a copy.
|
Sisters and Brothers,
How do we protect and even grow our jobs, while embracing
changing technology? Do we oppose or work with CenturyLink to make the company
both Union friendly while helping to make them financially successful?
These were just a few of the questions the Martinsville
Area Rep. Dan Dodrill and I discussed
with other CWA District 2 local leaders on Friday May 21 at the “Facing the
Jobs Crisis” pilot workshop in Richmond.
The goal of the workshop was to get local leader input to
devise a plan to move the CWA Telecom sector forward.
A few of the issues discussed throughout the day included:
1)
Corporate Strategy / Fighting the Status Quo.
2)
Organizing non-Union telecom, wireless and cable
workers and how to proceed.
3)
Informing our members about the education
opportunities that exist so they can keep up with changing technology.
The District’s goal is to have 10% of each local’s
membership to attend the training once it is completed. If you are interested
in attending future workshops please send me an email or call your Steward.
Keep your calendars clear for the next membership meeting on
June 10 at 7 p.m. I hope to see you there.
|
Sisters and Brothers,
This past week as you know I was in Washington D.C. for the
2010 Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference, as one of five members of the
Virginia delegation.
What an eye opener this was. For the CWA it was all about
expanding broadband to meet the latest FCC ruling of 1 gig to all anchor
institutions i.e. hospitals, schools and libraries by 2015. We also discussed
the need for higher speeds to make broadband compatible and capable of working
with the smart grid.
The “Smart Grid” would give both consumers and power
companies the ability to more closely monitor power consumption to save money,
with the added benefit of helping to move America away from its foreign oil
dependency.
Personally, I was fascinated by the new and diverse
technology that is already available, and so I managed to bring back a lot of
information which will be available to you at the Union Hall.
Stewards and officers please remember the E-Board meeting
May 13, at 7 p.m.
|
Sisters and Brothers,
Local 2277 and your President have been given the
opportunity to make a difference in Southside Virginia. On May 3 – 7, 2010 I
will be attending the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference in Washington D.C. http://www.greenjobsconference.org/
The conference will bring together Labor, Business and
political leaders for a discussion on promoting good paying sustainable green
jobs.
From the stand point of the CWA, broadband expansion is
crucial to the referendum. The FCC has issued guidelines to bring America “up
to speed” by the year 2015, and the CWA will be at the forefront in making
those rulings a reality.
Don’t forget the Executive Board meeting at 7 p.m. on May 13th
at the Union Hall.
|
CWA: Qwest-CenturyLink Deal Must
Focus on Jobs, Investment in High Speed Broadband
CenturyLink has announced plans to buy Qwest
Communications in an all-stock deal.
CWA has
stressed that in its discussions with management of both companies, we will
focus on the employment security and rights of our members and continued
critical investment in high speed broadband.
CWA
represents about 15,000 workers at Qwest in District 7 and about 3,700 at CenturyLink, formed by the merger of Century Tel and Embarq.
CWA
pointed out to reporters and analysts that Wall Street terms like "merger
synergies" used in these deals are often just shorthand for job cuts or
pay cuts. President Obama's job summit and recent legislation put jobs front
and center, not just at a conference but in all governmental decision-making.
The
Federal Communications Commission's broadband plan calls for a one gigabit
build-out to anchor institutions in every community and by 2015, a build-out of
50 megabits down and 20 megabits up to 80 percent of households.
CWA
will work with management, and with the FCC and state regulators, to make sure
that this merger offers specific commitments to meet these goals.
|
A Heat Stress pamphlet has been prepared by CWA Safety and Health. Please take a few minutes to read.
|
Sisters and Brothers,
At the 2010 District 2 Conference several issues were placed
on the floor for delegates to consider. The idea of merging Districts 2 and 13
was offered. District 2 covers Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and D.C.,
while District 13 is comprised of Pennsylvania and Delaware.
On the surface this would be a good match, but we as
delegates have asked the two district Vice Presidents to furnish us with more
information.
Next, the recommendation from the International is merging
the C&T and Telecom offices under one Vice President. With current Telecom
VP Jimmy Gurganus set to retire, this move also appears good on the surface. My
concern is that even though the telecom industry is shrinking rapidly, would
our sector continue to be represented properly?
The next item from the CWA Executive Board is moving to a
Biennial Convention schedule. I am not in favor of this move for one important
reason. Grievance and arbitration appeals would be heard by an elected Appeals
Committee that would have the final authority, by-passing allowing the
membership to vote to accept or reject the committees’ decision. In my opinion,
this takes away the transparency of the process we have always enjoyed as Union
members.
I would like to hear your thoughts on these issues prior to
the July convention, so that when I cast our ballots, our voices are heard.
At the April 8 membership meeting, you passed a resolution
allowing me to make the following resolutions on behalf of Local 2277;
1)
Honoring CWA Representative Carol Summerlyn for
her 10 years of continuous service as a CWA staff rep.
2)
Honoring Telecom VP Gurganus for his many years
of service to the Telecom sector.
3)
Send a letter to the West Virginia Coal Miners
union to show our condolences and support for our sisters and brothers in their
time of tragedy.
4)
Send a letter of solidarity with the West
Virginia Verizon employees battling the company sell off of land lines.
There will be an Executive Board meeting next month on May
13. I hope to see as many members and stewards there as possible.
In solidarity,
Jim
|
Sisters and Brothers,
The Uniform Program with CenturyLink will begin in the near
future with some changes that Carol Summerlyn and I bargained and accepted.
The company will supply us with 6 shirts and a hat initially
and set each of us up with an account at Cintas with a $200 a year credit. With
that credit you may purchase additional shirts, outerwear, pants and/or caps.
The company will no longer furnish pants as a part of the
uniform. Acceptable pants may be khaki, charcoal grey or blue jeans, and all
can be purchased through the Cintas website, but you can purchase your own
elsewhere if you choose.
Ralph and I reviewed the new Cintas catalog and prices are
very reasonable. For example, Dickies blue jeans are $18 a pair, shirts range
from $12 to $14.70 and so on.
Don’t forget the Membership meeting on April 8 at 7:30 pm.
I’ll try to have a copy of the catalog available for you to look at.
In Solidarity,
Jim
|
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
On Sunday March 21, 2010 the U.S. House of
Representatives passed Insurance reform by a vote of 219-212.
Regardless of your political leanings, this was a
historic moment for our country, and for each of us as working Americans. There
has been misinformation and untruths spread on both sides of the political fence, and many are scared, angry and
confused about the legislation.
Here are 10 truths about Insurance reform that are
certain:
1.
Once reform is fully implemented, over 95% of Americans will have health
insurance coverage, including 32 million who are currently uninsured.
2. Health insurance companies will no
longer be allowed to deny people coverage because of preexisting
conditions—or to drop coverage when people become sick.
3. Just like members of Congress,
individuals and small businesses who can't afford to purchase insurance on
their own will be able to pool together and choose from a variety of
competing plans with lower premiums.
4. Reform will cut the federal
budget deficit by $138 billion over the next ten years, and a whopping $1.2
trillion in the following ten years.
5. Health care will be more
affordable for families and small businesses thanks to new tax credits,
subsidies, and other assistance—paid for largely by taxing insurance companies,
drug companies, and the very wealthiest Americans.
6. Seniors on Medicare will pay
less for their prescription drugs because the legislation closes the
"donut hole" gap in existing coverage.
7. By reducing health care costs for
employers, reform will create or save more than 2.5 million jobs over
the next decade.
8. Medicaid will be expanded to
offer health insurance coverage to an additional 16 million low-income people.
9. Instead of losing coverage after
they leave home or graduate from college, young adults will be able to
remain on their families' insurance plans until age 26.
10. Community health centers would
receive an additional $11 billion, doubling the number of patients who can
be treated regardless of their insurance or ability to pay.
This bill is by no means perfect. It
is simply a start. A start towards real support for working class families and
the “American Dream”, however it is not finished. Soon the U.S. Senate will do
what is known as “reconciliation”, which by all indications will clarify the
bill and make some of the more vague items transparent.
I will post more, as the legislation
is clarified.
Jim
|
Sisters and Brothers,
The Communication Workers of America has a newly re-designed
web site. While some parts are still under construction, I suggest that you
take a moment to visit it at http://www.cwa-union.org/
. Some of the new features include slideshows of past Conventions as well as
photos submitted from other locals around the nation.
Our local now has a FaceBook page of its own; the link is on
the right of this page. At the time of this writing, several state delegates as
well as AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka have befriended us!
For everyone’s information, I have received a booklet
concerning Workers Compensation benefits. If anyone has questions concerning WC
please contact me directly as soon as possible and we can get those questions
answered pronto.
Vice-President Russell Wells will be handling the membership
meeting on April 8, 2010 as I will be in Baltimore for the District 2
Convention. I will however be posting to the website and our FaceBook page any
general information from the event.
In Solidarity,
Jim
|
Sisters and Brothers,
I have just received word that for the first time in recent
history Local 2277 has reached its quota for individual COPE contributions!
Everyone that is participating deserves a big Thank You! If anyone that isn’t
involved wants to sign-up, we are asking for $4 a month - $2 a pay period. You can get a COPE signup card from me or
anyone of the Stewards.
Rumor Control
CenturyLink has told COE
Installers in non-bargaining areas that Friday,
March 12, 2010 is their last day. Those in Florida and North Carolina were
offered packages. The company has apparently waived the 1 year waiting period
for these displaced techs so they can be re-hired as contractors. Union
represented installers have not been impacted by CenturyLinks decision.
Up Coming:
March 11, 2010 – E-Board meeting- 7 p.m.
In Solidarity,
Jim
|
A
Chance to Support Our Troops
Sisters
and Brothers,
Here
is a cause worthy of a few minutes. Write a letter to a vet in Afghanistan or
Iraq, or collect a few non-perishable items and pass them along to me. My wife
is a student at PHCC and will deliver them to the PHCC Veterans Club.
The PHCC Veterans Club is asking you to support our troops! In
the lobby of each building are several boxes with a list of nonperishable items
suitable for mailing. Please place items in the boxes, which will be
collected and sent. A smaller box is there to collect letters. As
one vet just told me: “I devoured every letter I ever got when I was over
there. They all meant so much!”
Kris Landrum
Public Relations Director
Patrick Henry Community College
(276)-656-0259
klandrum@ph.vccs.edu
|
Don't Miss Spring Deadlines for Beirne, Bahr College Scholarships
CWA
members and their families are encouraged to apply now for scholarships that
can help them attend college or pursue a distance-learning degree in the
2010-11 academic year.
An
annual scholarship from CWA's Joe Beirne Foundation
provides 15 students up to $3,000 toward their college tuition, an award that
can be renewed for a second year if winners have a satisfactory academic
record.
The
deadline for the Beirne scholarship, named for CWA's
founding president, is March 31. CWA members, spouses, children, grandchildren
and dependents of active, retired, laid-off or deceased members are
eligible. Winners will be chosen from a lottery of eligible applicants.
Applications
are available online only at: www.cwa-union.org/members/beirne.
The
second scholarship, named for CWA's President Emeritus Morton Bahr, covers full
tuition and fees for college courses offered by Empire State College's Center
for Distance Learning.
CWA
members, their families and domestic partners are eligible to apply.
Scholarship winners can continue to receive funding as long as they make
satisfactory academic progress and enroll in four to eight credits at least two
terms per year.
The Bahr deadline is May 15. Forms are available online at www.esc.edu/bahr. To
request an application by mail, e-mail special.programs@esc.edu or
call (800) 847-3000, ext. 2492.
|
|
Martinsville Area Rep. Dan Dodrill receives Certificate from the University of Arkansas for completing training in FMLA procedures.
|
|
|
|