November 2008
Open enrollment for medical benefits will begin on November 12th and run through November 25th. This period will be your one and only chance to review and change your medical benefits for you and your family for the 2009 plan year. The has placed the utmost priority on negotiating and providing our members with fully paid health care benefits. The healthcare benefits available to you cost the company anywhere from fourteen to eighteen thousand dollars a year.
At a time when fewer and fewer Americans have access to any health care benefits, 47 million Americans are uninsured and more and more Americans are paying for their healthcare benefits, Local 2323 members and retirees are part of a shrinking percentage of Americans who have fully paid healthcare provided by their employer, negotiated by their union.
This year members will have a new choice for healthcare benefits. The plan is called the Health Care PPO and it is administered by Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield. This plan replaces the Medical Expense Plan which also was administered by Empire. The highlights of this new plan negotiated by the union this summer in are a $15.00 co pay for doctor’s visits, emergency room visits and urgent care clinics.
Medical benefits covered at 100% are annual physical exams ( subject to age and frequency schedule), well child care, well woman care, mammography, immunizations, colonoscopy and chiropractic care, out of network costs are generally covered at 80% of costs.
This plan along with offerings from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Mass, the health care network and United Health Care HMO should provide our members and families with adequate choice.
All plans have varying degrees of coverage options. The plan that is right for you may not be right for another member. Based upon prescription coverage, Blue Cross is by far the better plan. Some physicians in RI no longer accept United. It is your choice, compare the plans and choose your union provided benefits wisely.
FIOS continues to drive the work load in . With all the problems in the economy, layoffs and recession, FIOS appears to be recession proof. Over 200 installs on average a day is driving the workload for FIOS SST’s. Overtime for FIOS continues to thrive. Areas handled by and Lincoln, and are excessively busy.
and Tower Hill are subsidizing those two areas. Overtime discrepancies continue to be challenged by the on a fair and equitable basis. In garages where both FIOS qualified and non FIOS qualified CORE are on the same administrative work groups – overtime list, DU schedule, vacation list – the Union demands that all be treated fairly and equally by management with respect to DU’s and overtime.
In non-FIOS garages , , , the union continues to press the company on giving those members opportunities in 2009 so all can share in the benefits of FIOS which is the future.
A total of 1.4 million customers have Verizon FIOS TV, almost a 20% penetration rate in the areas of the country that FIOS is offered. In RI where 50% of the customers of Verizon had switched over to COX, winning back 20% is huge to the future of this membership. That is why it is critical to get FIOs into the rest of the State for work opportunities for our members.
Unfortunately, over 133,000 DSL customers have been lost during this same period throughout the country leaving a shortfall of work for our members assigned to DSL.
The IBEW System Council T-6 met with the new senior management assigned to run , and under the new reorganization plan of Verizon. Numerous managers are scheduled to be terminated by the company and senior management tells the absolutely no managers will be returned to the bargaining unit.
The continues to actively pursue numerous grievances and arbitrations on behalf of the membership- discipline, overtime, contracting out work. I would like to thank our members and stewards for being vigilant in the workplace and reporting encroachments on our bargained for work.
That is how the Union can protect your future by having our members be the ’s eyes and ears in the workplace.
With the advent of November, two very important contractual provisions should be adhered – one is safety, no member should work alone in outside cable after dark unless you are provided with an aerial lift vehicle and the forced overtime requirements is now 10 hours down from 12.
In the the new management wants to create a separately administered group for FCSA’s. The union is adamant that the company adhere to the contract for a permanent transfer via this canvass.
Those members interested in registering for the Fall of 2009 Next Step Program should register on line between now and January 16th at www.nspinfo.com
If you have any questions on this program, call the IBEW Dean of Administration Jack Marshall at
508 460-4689