Communication Workers of America Local 3111 was originally chartered on February 1, 1968. At that time, it represented employees of Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company that worked in Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Stuart, Florida. As Florida grew so did Local 3111. The Local now represents at&t and at&t mobility employees and covers all towns or cities in the following counties: Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin.
FROM: Richard Honeycutt, Vice President District 3
SUBJECT: Notification of AT&T Southeast TA Vote
I am pleased to announce that the AT&T Southeast bargaining units have voted to ratify their Contracts. I would like to thank the members who took the time to vote on these TA’s.
Special thanks to the Bargaining Team for your dedication to our CWA Members and all of your hard work.
The ratification results are as follows:
AT&T Southeast (BST) – Yes (81%)
AT&T Southeast (Utilities) – Yes (74%)
AT&T Southeast (Billing) – Yes (100%)
A note from President Ward
Your new hourly rates should start Sunday, October 20, 2024.
October 3, 2024
TO: AT&T SE Local Presidents, Staff & Secretaries
FROM: Nicholas E.M. Hawkins, Assistant to the Vice-President
SUBJ: AT&T Southeast Dues While On Strike
Last week, the District 3 office was notified that the company had taken a double dues deduction from our member’s paychecks. We assumed that the company was attempting to make up for dues that were not paid during the strike. We immediately contacted the company to have this corrected, as our members are not required to pay dues during a strike. Below, I have listed the company’s response to this issue:
This is to confirm receipt of your request that the Company return dues deducted from Southeast employee wages for the period of the recent authorized strike. The Company will honor your request and work expeditiously to return all dues deducted to employees for the time period August 16, 2024, to September 15, 2024.
This resolves the issue and members will be receiving a refund as soon as possible.
I am sure that one of the next issues to start showing up in the group is going to be around the TA vote, so I wanted to go ahead and say a few words about it. A NON vote does not count as a YES vote. The only thing that a NON vote counts for.....is your acknowledgement of having complete apathy over your future.
Some have the belief that the District or National will manipulate the vote to make sure the TA passes. This is usually followed by saying no one knows how the process works or that it is all a big secret or I didn't get a ballot. This is not true. In District 3 our process is for each Local to handle their own vote and to submit their vote counts to the District office by a certain date. Each state will be allowed to send a representative to count the votes. There is no secretive plan to make sure a TA passes. What does happen is that people say one thing in public and do another in private. I along with many other Local Presidents will tell you that this is a real thing. Also, this is important....Make sure that your local has you correct address or contact your local in about two weeks and ask them how you can vote. Don't get upset if you don't get a vote when you have not done these two things. Tell your co-workers that might not be in this group.
I am pretty sure there has never been a TA that had everything that everyone wanted. The TA that is going to go out for a vote came from months of bargaining. The process started with every member having a chance to submit bargaining suggestions that they wanted to see changed or protected in bargaining. These suggestions were submitted and every single one was read and and separated into different groups and then prioritized by representatives from each local along with the bargaining team and sub-committee members. The bargaining team's goal was to get as many of these items as possible and the company's goal was to NOT give as many as they could along with taking away what was already in the agreement.
After months of bargaining, you get to a point where neither side is willing to compromise anymore so this is when a TA will be put out for the members to vote on. Reaching a TA does not mean that leaders of the Union or the bargaining team feel that it is so wonderful, great and that you should feel so lucky because it is the best deal that has ever been made. I hope that no one on here believes that the company gives away anything for free, they never have. Except for shorts for WT's in 2015 which was the number one bargaining suggestion that year from WT's. That one was free.
Looking at all aspects of where we were in the bargaining process, a decision was reached that the company was not going to bend any further. I'm not going to get into the specifics on the strike, it's purpose and benefits on FB because everything on here goes straight back to management. I can share that offline in a conversation. Was anyone in bargaining happy with being at that point....NO. Would just sitting there and hearing "no" over and over get us anywhere? No. It is to the company's advantage to drag on negotiations for months on end, which becomes more harmful for members. It is not accurate to think you get a better contract by just holding out.
Due to the company's inept bargaining team and their greed, we ended up in a situation where a strike was necessary to not only force the company to bargain but also to keep them from forcing things on members that would have negatively impacted them for years to come. You all sacrificing by being out on the line is what forced the company to start bargaining and is what prevented them from taking more away from the contract.
No matter what anyone says there are gains in this TA that have not happened before and things were stopped that would have had major impacts on every member. Is it everything that everyone had on their want list, no. But it is not from a lack of desire, want, or effort from the bargaining team or CWA. Now that there is a TA, it is back on the membership to decide if they are willing to accept it or not. No forcing, no tricks, no secrets. That is how all of this works.
I will pin this at the top so if you see anyone talking about how the Union will make sure that the ta passes and is going to rig the vote, ask them to look at this post. I will be deleting any replies that just say Vote yes or Vote no. I'm not looking for a poll of yes or no votes.
Just vote!
We would like to have all of our members personal email addresses and personal phone numbers. The reason being is that you do not always look at our site and there are times we get information that we would like to get to you in a timely manner. With having your personal emails , we can send the info hot off the press.
JUST CALL THE OFFICE AT 772 464-3111 AND GIVE IT TO US or EMAIL US AT cwa3111@bellsouth.net
If you have moved since you have been hired, please make sure you have contacted the company. Many times we forget to do that and then we don't get the documents that are sent out by AT&T.
We encourage all members and those interested in joining CWA LOCAL 3111 to reach out with questions or inquiries. Our team is here to provide support and information to help you navigate your union experience. Whether you need assistance with a specific issue or want to learn more about membership, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you and supporting your journey.
You can now sign up to be a member of CWA Local 3111 electronically.
Due to many employees working from home or scattered around the area and have not signed up, now you can !
At the moment, this is only available for Southeast BST, Mobility, and Utilities. Dues are 2.25% of your hourly wage and are paid monthly.
Remember only members have voting rights regarding the contract
Dear CWA Member,
I am writing to you today to share important information that may impact your health.
If you work in telecommunications, you may be exposed to lead as a result of working with and around lead-sheathed cables and other telecom plant, such as old lead splice cases, or chipping and peeling old lead paint in Central Offices or other areas. Lead is toxic and can have serious health consequences, including neurological and reproductive issues.
Because of the risks of lead exposure, telecommunications employers are required to implement voluntary blood lead testing programs. I strongly recommend that every CWA member who is eligible for a voluntary blood lead test through their employer get tested.
If a blood lead test reveals the presence of lead in your blood and you have been working with or near lead within the past month, this means that you have been exposed to lead, and your employer will determine the source(s) of exposure and ensure you have the necessary safeguards and information to avoid further exposure.
Your health matters, and blood lead tests are crucial for protecting you from the potential risks associated with lead exposure. If you meet employer’s eligibility criteria, you should follow your employer’s procedure for requesting and obtaining this test. These voluntary programs should be conducted on company time with no loss in pay or impact on performance metrics.
Please be assured that the healthcare provider conducting your blood lead test must follow a specific protocol for blood lead testing and the laboratory that analyzes your blood sample for lead must also follow a specific protocol. Your blood is only being tested for lead and your employer plays no role in the medical conduct of the blood lead test.
We urge you to schedule your blood lead test today – it's a proactive step toward a safer and healthier future for you and your family. You can learn more about testing for and preventing exposure to lead in telecommunications here.
For more information, please consult “Preventing Exposures to Lead in Telecommunications: What Every Member Should Know” available at cwa.org/lead.
In Unity,
Claude Cummings Jr.
President
***This email has been sent to all AT&T SE Local Presidents, Staff & Secretaries.**
There will be no surplus declared today for 2QTR2024.
In Unity,
Billy O'Dell
Administrative Director to the Vice President
Please see the notification below that we have received from the Company. This change does fall in line with Article 12 Section 5 of our Mobility Black CBA.
To optimize the scheduling process, all Mobility lines of business in the Cristy Swink organization will transition from the current 6-month scheduling cycle to a 3-month cycle. This shift will provide our teams with more flexible and responsive schedules, along with better aligning our experts with the changing demands of our customers.
What:
Who’s Impacted:
Effective Dates:
As per our discussion, effective January 1, 2023 (retroactively) through December 31, 2024, employees who are enrolled in an AT&T self-insured medical program will have the member cost share waived for all virtual healthcare visits offered through Your Personal Healthcare Team by Included Health.
Currently, the member cost (pre-deductible) is $35/visit for Virtual primary care visits, Urgent Care and Behavioral Health visits, outside of preventative services. These services will now be provided at no cost to the member.
This change coincides with a bill Congress passed which allows plan sponsors to pay for telehealth services pre-deductible for qualified high deductible health plans. This legislation is in place until December 31, 2024.
The Included Health app is available via smartphones or tablets. To access Your Personal Healthcare Team, members can download the app at includedhealth.com/get-the-app/, or they can call 1-800-374-1009.
A Summary of Material Modifications will be sent to employees detailing this change as soon as administratively feasible, likely in late February.
The Company reserves the right to modify, terminate or extend this waived service fee at the discretion of the Company.
Check out the new Partnership website
For too long now, CWA represented employers continue to decrease the amount of training they offer to their workforce, which is why we are here for you. Check us out, or for some, come back and see what is new.
Over the years, CWA/NETT Academy, has assisted more than 50,000 members and their families with their specific training and personal development needs. We invite you back to explore all the new features to some of our more traditional products. These products continue to add content that is relevant to our membership.
Here is a good article about ALEC and their quest to destroy unions. Please read when you get a chance.
State of Florida Seniority Lists
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