Why CWA Local 1101 Executive Board is Recommending a NO vote
Why CWA Local 1101 Executive Board is Recommending a NO vote
As you know CWA and Verizon reached an Agreement in Principle earlier this week. Your Executive Board met to discuss the MOU. There are a number of positive things in the agreement. But it falls short and fails to address major issues of concern to our membership. What’s important isn’t just what’s in the agreement, but what’s NOT in the agreement. We believe we can do better. That’s why we voted unanimously to recommend a No vote.
Our contract expires August 3, 2026. Voting no doesn’t mean we’re going on strike. It means the bargaining team goes back to the table with a strong message to Verizon - our members are willing to fight for a contract that protects our jobs and our future.
The LOA on call center work opens the door for non-union VZW reps to do our work
The MOU states ‘employees in the Sales and Service Centers (union members) may be assigned to establish service and/or modify VZW accounts and sell VZW products’. The MOU also states ‘Verizon Wireless representatives (non-union) on a secondary request may be allowed to do limited functions including applying discounts, adding or modifying perks and making basic account changes.’ Verizon will consider those transactions part of the 15% of calls allowed to go to vendors. But our belief is that VZW reps are not equivalent to vendors, they’re non-union Verizon employees. We believe that once Verizon Wireless gets their foot in the door that this will be the beginning of the end of the unionized call centers.
What’s NOT in the Agreement
Significant movement to regain contracted out work and win new work
The Union gave Verizon a comprehensive proposal that would bring back contracted work to every title we represent to the bargaining unit. The company never responded. The TA calls for 1180 new hires, 500 plant workers in NYS (CWA), 300 plant workers in New England (IBEW), 100 plant workers split between NY & NE, and 140 call center and 140 technical support workers (split among NY CWA, NE IBEW, NY IBEW). In the past when they’ve agreed to new jobs they also offered IPPs that negated the number of jobs gained. Without bringing in currently contracted work the Union will continue to shrink.
Addressing skyrocketing retiree health care costs
Verizon has refused to negotiate with the union over the pre-Medicare (under 65 years old) retiree medical caps that were negotiated in 2008. Pre-Medicare retirees pay the difference between the caps (what Verizon will contribute) that were negotiated in 2012 and the total cost of the plan. 2026 is the first year the cost of the plans exceeded the caps, and many pre-medicare retirees’ health care costs went from $804 for a family plan in 2025 to $6900 in 2026, from $472 for a single person in 2025 to $2764 in 2026. Those numbers aren’t stagnant, they can continue to rise each year, by some estimates as much as 10% a year.
Verizon has an obligation to its retirees. Instead, it’s shifting the entire cost of the increase to retirees, who are on a fixed income. Verizon has caps on Medicare eligible retiree health care as well, and those are projected to be exceeded in 6-10 years.
Retiree medical can be bargained and Verizon has bargained for it in past contracts. The company could bargain over the retiree medical caps now, and is refusing to.
NOTE: There is a chart on page 10 of the MOU, Section 2B ”Contributions for Retiree Medical Coverage”. This chart refers to people who have the EPO and the HMO plans and who retired prior to Jan 1, 2013. It does NOT apply to anyone else.
Not enough movement for post 2012 hires retiree health care
Post 2008 hires get a health care subsidy they can use toward an individual pre-Medicare health care plan. The TA increases the subsidy by $1,000 a year to $15,440. With medical costs increasing this won’t be sufficient to fund even an individual medical plan upon retirement. We need to do more to close the gap between the tiers on retiree health care and retirement security.
No language on Artificial Intelligence protection
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing our world and workplaces faster than anyone imagined. Verizon CEO Dan Shulman is publicly and assertively embracing AI. When the union made proposals for protecting jobs as the use of AI accelerates, the company said the Common Committee on Technology changes, last bargained in 1998, could address any AI issues.
We shouldn’t settle short 5 months before contract expiration
We’ve been through a lot of fights with this company. We’ve held the line on givebacks, and secured contracts that protected our job security and retirement. We work for a highly profitable company that’s made clear its intention to get rid of as many workers as possible, reduce its workforce, and embrace AI. It’s tempting to vote yes on this TA and be done with the stress of uncertainty. But we believe we’d be settling short and surrendering our future and our retirement security.
Our contract expires August 3, 2026. Voting NO doesn’t mean we’re going on strike. It means we’re willing to mobilize and show Verizon we’re willing to fight to protect jobs and retirement security for everyone, regardless of when we were hired.
CWA Local 1101 Executive Board members are visiting garages and holding zoom contract interpretations meetings prior to the ratification vote.
CWA District 1 Summary of Agreement in Principle
Why CWA Local 1101 Executive Board is Recommending a NO vote
Verizon Wireless (Network techs)/CWA Memorandum of Understanding