Communications Workers Of America Local 6508 AFL-CIO, CLC

• CWA Takes on Verizon Over FMLA Abuses
• Big Breakthrough: NMB Proposes Majority Vote for Airline Worker Elections
• Obama DOL Wins $1.2 Million for Puerto Rico Workers
• Online Auction Aids Flight Attendants in Need
• Employee Free Choice is Major League
• NY Dish Network Techs, West VA ABC Officers Join CWA
• CWA Member Wins Reelection to Detroit City Council
• In Maryland, Verizon Wants a Sweet Deal at Consumers' Expense

CWA Takes on Verizon Over FMLA Abuses

CWA has filed a lawsuit charging Verizon Communications with denying workers the rights and protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act. The class action lawsuit covers Verizon workers in Districts 1, 2 and 13.

CWA and individual workers have laid out extensive complaints against Verizon. “Verizon has created a number of arbitrary administrative procedures that it requires workers to follow if they want to be certified for FMLA, but these procedures are not a part of the FMLA law. They shouldn’t be used to deny workers their rightful FMLA benefits, but that’s exactly what Verizon is doing,” said CWA General Counsel Mary O’Melveny.

FMLA provides workers at companies with 50 or more employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for the birth or adoption of a child; care of a spouse, parent or a child under 18 for a serious health condition; care of a child over 18 with mental or physical disabilities, and an employee’s own illness.

Verizon’s policies are a real Catch-22:

• If a worker followed verbal instructions from the company’s absence reporting center, and those instructions were wrong, though the worker didn’t know it, the claim is denied.
• If a worker couldn’t file the full report on time, because her doctor was on vacation or unavailable, the claim is denied. If another physician in the same office completed the report, but didn’t spell out the relationship between the two medical providers, the claim is denied.
• If information was missing from the claim, for example, the doctor’s office didn’t complete an item, the claim is denied.
• If a supervisor makes an error in reporting a workers’ claim, it’s denied.

At Verizon, as far as FMLA is concerned, once a claim is denied twice, a worker loses her FMLA rights.

Big Breakthrough: NMB Proposes Majority Vote for Airline Worker Elections

The National Mediation Board this week proposed a rule change to bring real democracy to union elections in the airline and railroad industries.

Under the NMB proposal, workers would vote either "Yes" or "No" in a union representation election. The outcome would be determined by a majority of votes cast, just as elections for public office now are conducted.

Under the current NMB rules, workers can only win union representation if a majority of eligible workers vote and a majority of those voters want a union voice. Workers who don't participate are considered "No" votes.

The NMB's two-member majority called the current system undemocratic. "Few if any democratic elections are conducted in this manner," the NMB said. "In our society, free choice is expressed on the basis of a majority of valid votes cast in an election. The wishes of those who take the time and trouble to cast ballots" should not be superseded by those who chose not to participate, it added.

The current system has encouraged airlines to engage in intimidation and coercive tactics to suppress turnout and keep workers from exercising their right to vote during union elections.

The rule change was praised by AFA-CWA President Patricia Friend. Employees seeking a union will now have the opportunity to have a chance for truly fair elections," Friend said. "They are excited for the opportunity for their voices and votes to be counted."

AFA-CWA has been working with flight attendants at the merged Northwest Delta Airlines to help bring union representation to the airline's 21,000 flight attendants. "Now that the NMB has announced that, for the first time in recent years, airline employees seeking union representation will have a chance for truly fair elections, flight attendants at Northwest and Delta are excited for that opportunity," Friend said. "As the largest private sector union election this year, we want this election at Delta Air Lines to occur under the new democratic procedures and therefore are withdrawing our single transportation application" that would trigger a union election. The NMB will issue its final rule after a 60-day public comment period.

CWA: House Gets It Right on Health Care Reform

CWA commended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House leadership as they introduced a comprehensive health care reform bill today.

"The House of Representatives health care proposal gets it right. Rather than making those employers that already pay toward their workers health coverage pay more, it requires employers that don't pay to pay their fair share. There is no tax on workers' health care plans in the House bill, unlike the Senate version which currently is asking working and middle income families to finance health care reform," said CWA President Larry Cohen.

The House bill will:

• Require most employers – with an exemption for small businesses -- to share in the responsibility for financing health care coverage.
• Help continue coverage for pre-Medicare retirees.
• Extend health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured persons, guaranteeing that most Americans have quality, affordable coverage.
• Provide substantial subsidies to help make coverage more affordable for middle income families, and expand Medicaid to guarantee that coverage will be affordable for lower income persons.
• Implement insurance market reforms to prevent individuals from being denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
• Reduce costs for individuals and small businesses by eliminating uncompensated care, reforming the delivery and provider payment systems, and establishing a national exchange to facilitate cost effective coverage.
• Establish a robust public insurance option to ensure there is adequate competition in all areas of the country, thereby holding down rates charged by private insurers.