AT&T Store Shooting Puts Spotlight on Retail Workers' Safety 07/01/10
A CWA Local 1126 member who was shot while working at an AT&T Wireless store in central New York will be honored at the CWA convention, along with the off-duty police officer who killed the gunman before he could hurt anyone else.
The shooting and the events leading to it are a textbook argument for more retail store security and worker training.
The victim, Seth Turk, is out of the hospital but has a long road to full recovery. He was one of four CWA members and six workers total named on a "hit list" carried by gunman Abraham Dickan, 79, a meddlesome, almost daily visitor to the New York Mills store. A month earlier, Dickan brandished a gun to another CWA member there. AT&T sent him a letter banning him from the store, but no changes were made in security.
On May 27, after the county seized the weapon and revoked his carry permit in response to the earlier incident, Dickan returned, pulled a .357 caliber revolver and shot Turk in the stomach. Nearby in a short line of customers, off-duty Police Officer Donald Moore swiftly pulled his gun and fatally shot Dickan. No one else was injured.
In spite of his grave injury, Turk, 37, managed to call 911 and calmly provide details. "He was even able to tell them about Officer Moore having a weapon so they didn't come in thinking he was possibly the assailant," Local 1126 Vice President Jason White said. "The police said it was a textbook 911 call."
White praised AT&T for its efforts since the shooting, which include re-opening the store at a new site with multiple video cameras, panic buttons and, for now, a constant police presence. But he is concerned about long-term safety for his members and all CWA retail workers nationwide. "We definitely need to establish a protocol, jointly with the company, that workers can follow if they ever feel threatened by a customer," he said.
Overtime due to iPhone launch 06/16/10
I just checked my voicemail and it is full of messages about overtime at the stores. Please tell me who your Area Manager is because your overtime should not be starting until Sunday. I'll be addressing the situations I hear about but you can't assume we know about your store. Let us know.
Retro Pay Dates 06/05/10
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This is to advise that we have received the following Implementation Dates from the Company.
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Implementation Date
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Implementation
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June 8, 2010
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The on-call increases from $20.00 to $34.00
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June 8, 2010
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Part-time call center employees are entitled to a $2.00 per day/tour bilingual differential when assigned to speak in a foreign language.
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June 18, 2010
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New wages, retroactive pay to 3/27/2010 &
Paydayratification bonus (if applicable)
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July 2, 2010
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Employee movement into new titles 6/25/2010
- Payday-Customer Support Specialist
- Client Service Specialist
- Work Force Administration
- Wireless technician
New wages and adjusted retro pay to 04/04/2010
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On-call pay and bilingual differential for the part-time call center employees is not retroactive.
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MOBILITY BARGAINING 2010!
This District is proud to announce that the CWA ATT Mobility Contract ratified today. The results were 68% YES 32% NO.
In Unity,
Betty Witte
Administrative Director
CWA District 3
Click-to-Chat & Tech Support 05/22/10
We are aware that the Avalon Ridge Call Center is training the CSRs to do click to chat and tech support. We have several isses with this:
- The function appears to be higher rated as a Customer Support Specialist or Client Service Specialist.
- The function does not appear to be occasional in nature, but remains to be seen as the training rolls out in June.
- The function requires handling multiple customers simulataneously with increased risk for accidentially mixing up proprietary information. We have seen nothing to address this threat or to accomodate the inevitable stress it will place on our Reps.
According to the District, "We will have a joint team work continuously on upgrades. Small business, which is located in Lafayette and Greensboro was mentioned as a starting point. Recommendation for the team will come from Local Presidents via our staff. We feel there are more opportunities in our District for additional upgrades through this joint effort."
I spoke with Bette Witte at the District 3 Office and she says we need paperwork to back us up in our quest to get y'all the upgrade you deserve. We need specifics about what y'all are doing (i.e., I handled X customers simultaneously on X date at X time. One customer was a tech support call for X phone/service, the other was a billing call with X lines on the account, etc.) Without very specific information like this we cannot negotiate.
Pay Increase for Topped-Out Employees 5/22/10
We were advised by the District of the following: On the lump sum, every year at the contract anniversary -those over the top will receive a lump sum payment for the negotiated percent for that year ... unless, their weekly pay is less that the negotiated increase for step 15 -at which time, payroll will be notified to put them back into progression at step 15. Those over the top in the black contract at ratification will receive a onetime lump sum payment of 2.75% for the year.
Update on AT&T Mobility 05/13/10
I have attached, for your use, documentation of a recent victory we received at the NLRB. We filed a Board charge concerning the company's refusal to provide contractor information. The Board issued a complaint and ordered a posting. The posting is in place in the Call Centers, but you may use the attached for other locations, newsletters, websites, etc. However, we are still arguing with the company for the contractor information or the lack of information.
- The scheduling Tool Arbitration for the Orange contract is scheduled for June 17 in Albany, New York.
- I have attached, for your use, four arbitration victories. They concern the following:
A. Improper layoff out of seniority. Arbitrator ruled grievants should be returned to work with back pay. Summary is attached.
B. The removal of chairs in Retail Stores. Arbitrator ruled that the company has to bargain with CWA. We are now in arguments with the company concerning the scope of the award.
C. Management doing bargaining unit work. Great victory strengthening our Recognition Clause.
Avalon Dialogue Session 04/07/10
Today the Local's Executive Officers and I met with the senior management team and force management from Avalaon Ridge. We discussed the following:
- Overall metrics (adherence, availability, quality) look good overall for the center as does attendance
- New Failure-to-Follow policy regarding returning from breaks/lunch in effect April 1st is not a response to problem Reps, it is to bring the center in line with Cedartown's policies
- Internet Cafe is moving to a more central location per CWA's request
- Beth Hendrickson plans to have a series of meetings so the Reps can meet her
- CWA will review the weekend rotation/"Fairness" schedule every 12 weeks to ensure no body is being unfairly over-scheduled. Bear in mind swaps are making the rotation more difficult to gauge by CWA so if you have a concern about this please contact us to let us know
- Go Home Early emails were a concern for CWA because unpaid excused time means surplus conditions aren't far behind. Reps are mostly concerned with allocation. CWA will be on this issue when Exchange time is denied the same day as a go home early offer. Let us know if you find this occurring.
- Exchange time was an issue in general and there will be a manager on duty to make the decision to override.
- Weekend vacation is unique to Avalon in Beth's organization and was built in to the 2010 buffer.
- Movement/advancement opportunities are available through the Careerpath system (which I can't access or I'd link it here). CWA obviously can't question movement into management so Reps need to talk to their managers if they aspire to a non-represented position. Beth pointed out that the internal job-market is tough due to severances that cannot be disclosed like craft surplus announcements.
- Click to chat expanding is still in the business-plan stages with Beth's boss.
- Morale and how it is negatively impacted by policies over which local management has no control was addressed. We brought up how the business happening "to" Reps and not "with" Reps created the perception of unnecessary rigidity. Grievances being perceived as personal against managers and perceived retaliation was also discussed. Beth expressed that she was open to Mutual Gains training that would help bring positive resolution to conflicts for all involved. Beth also advised that a new incentive program was about to be rolled out for April.
- Grievance meetings will normally have the Team Manager, Grievant and Job steward at the Informal level and the Area Manager, Team Manager, Grievant, CWA Officer and Job Steward at the Formal Level (Step 1 in Art. 7) unless there is a steward in training.
Our next meeting is scheduled for July 14, 2010 at 1pm. Contact us if you have an issue you would like to address. This is a great place for us to bring issues that are not necessarily contract issues.
We also signed up 2 people into the Union today w00t! and are on the verge of getting another Job Steward!
NOTE TO FOLKS WHO ASKED ABOUT GOING ON STRIKE: There isn't much chance of going on strike until we get more folks to sign membership cards! Sign up a non-member today. A Decertification means that you will be an at-will employee again who can be fired for any or NO reason. $30 a month is a small price to pay to have job security to not have to look for a job because AT&T thinks you make too much money. AT&T is already poor-mouthing at the bargaining table not 2 months since they told the wireline bargaining team for CWA that all the money was in wireless. YOU DESERVE BETTER AND THEY CAN AFFORD IT!
Hellooooo Wireless Warriors! 03/19/10
CWA Local 3204 President Walter D. Andrews announced me, Melissa Pike as Vice-President over the Mobility locations on Sunday, 3/14/10 while we were at the CWA District 3 Conference in Jacksonville, FL.
Tuesday, 3/16 Mobility bargaining unit meeting was held in Jacksonville. The bargaining team was introduced and began discussing the top priorities that came out of the 400(!) bargaining suggestions received. I can't post them here yet, not until bargaining kicks off on 3/29. Be advised that although the contract expires on 3/26, CWA asked the Company to extend the contract till 4/16. The major issues discussed involved extending seniority to all the articles in the contract and getting a handle on cross-functioning and working out of title that results in wireless members doing wireline work without wireline pay.
Wednesday 3/17 we held a Mobility job Steward meeting with all stewards present except for Thelma because she was proudly representing us at meetings to prepare for bargaining. President Walter D. Andrews presided over the meeting. We met with our mobilization chair to discuss preparations for kickoff and subsequent action. EVP JC Smith and Secrtary Treasurer Tracy Duncan discussed the differences between our two call centers and the retail stores. We were advised that arbitrations are being prepared to address the scheduling tool issue in Districts 1 and 3. We have had significant delays in hearing arbitrations going back for some time due the Company's single person to prepare these cases.
I have something to say. I have been hearing a lot of noise that some people think we would be better off without CWA. I'd like you to consider the reality of living in an employment-at-will state without the union.
Our contract requires just cause for any disciplinary action. Without that contract you could be fired because your boss doesn't like the bumper sticker on your truck or that you hunt or drink wine off the job because your boss thinks it's a sin. If the action didn't violate any Equal Employment Opportunity laws these terminations would be absolutely legal without a contract.
I'm not gonna blow sunshine up your butt and tell you CWA is perfect because we have a lot of work to do. We are a family and family doesn't always agree. I cannot overemphasize that things will never get better if you don't involved. We simply do not have enough job stewards to handle the load. I spend nearly all of my time in shops that have problems so if you never see a union rep it means two things:
- You need to either become a job steward or get with your team and elect one.
- Your team is either not seeing any contract violations, not being disciplined or not grieving.
I cannot resolve problems unless you grieve them. The Company has no obligation to meet with me unless I have a grievance to meet on with them. Help me out. The next meeting is April 13th.
