3 replies to this topic

[umbertino]

by: Jim Lane
August 15 2012



DALLAS - North Texas activists this week protested the dumping of pension and health care rights.

On the morning of August 14, they met in front of a downtown Verizon store here. The day was the 77th anniversary of Social Security and three days after contract expiration for Communications Workers of America Local 6171. Verizon negotiators, who have hard-lined Communications Workers and Electricians locals in the Eastern United States for over a year, agreed to a short contract extension with Local 6171, which covers Texas. Even though the workers have given the company consistent profits, management wants to take away health care rights and terminate their pension program.

Over the past month in North Texas, two major corporations have already terminated pension programs: Lockheed Aircraft and EFH Energy. American Airlines has been trying for several months to get out of their pension obligations through bankruptcy. Thousands of North Texans have already lost their pension rights.

Several letters to the editor in the Dallas paper have protested the general trend to take away the right to retire. They were particularly fired up when presidential candidate Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan as his running mate. Ryan's budget ideas would undermine Social Security as well as Medicare and Medicaid.

Romney and Ryan claim that their proposals would not detract from present retirees, but only lower benefits for younger people. The North Texas protesters called that maneuver an attempt to divide seniors from their own children and grandchildren.

The Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, one of 32 state affiliates of the American ARA, originated the call for a protest. Communications Workers activists from several locals, as well as other concerned North-Texans, joined them.

Spokespersons were interviewed in Spanish and English. Similar activities were held across the nation.



http://www.peopleswo...ight-to-retire/

[grand pubah]

for some reason this copied twice...
deleting this one

[grand pubah]

A lot of attention has been focused this week on the House Republican Budget and its proposals to save the U.S. Medicare system. As the Chairman of the Budget Committee, Congressman Paul Ryan is one of the principal architects of the proposal; so naturally, the opposing side has seen fit to attack his plan with renewed vigor. The President and his surrogates have taken to the airwaves to denigrate the Republican Budget in order to avoid talking about a glaring weakness of their own proposal: namely, their lack of any plan for Medicare or Social Security at all. In fact, if the Administration had their way, they would let Medicare go bankrupt, leaving future generations without any benefits at all. All of this from a President whose own health care law cut more than $700 billion from Medicare to pay for a federal takeover of our health care system.

There are going to be a lot of accusations and arguing in the coming months over the Republican plan to save Medicare. This is exactly what the plan would and would not do.

If you are currently on Medicare, there will be no changes to your benefits. In fact, the proposal makes no changes to Medicare for those over 55 years of age at all. None. When we say“if you have a health care plan, you can keep it,” we mean it. If you are at or near retirement age, you will retire with full Medicare benefits. In contrast, under the President’s health care law, 15 board members can cut Medicare and deny current seniors their benefits. Medicare estimates that 4 million people will lose their coverage under Medicare Advantage and 15 percent of hospitals and nursing homes will simply stop taking Medicare patients.

The plan takes away power from government bureaucrats and empowers patients withcontrol of their health care. It would repeal Obamacare’s new unelected,unaccountable board of bureaucrats who are empowered to determine what care isbest for you. This board is meant to control costs, but the only way they can do so is to ration your care. Under current projections, Medicare spending is expected to increase from 3.7 percent of GDP in 2011 to 5.7 percent of GDP in 2035. If these projections are correct and costs to the Medicare program continue to rise, this board has one option: cut yourcare. Our proposal puts your health care choices back in your hands.

TheHouse Republican Budget would restore the promise to future generations bystrengthening the Medicare system. Currently, Medicare will be bankrupt in 2024 – just 12 years. That means if you retire today at age 65 andlive until the age of 77, there will not be enough funds in Medicare to pay for all of your benefits. Younger Americans wouldn’t have Medicare under the Administration’s plan.

Ifyou are 54 years old or younger, our proposal ensures that you, too, will have Medicare when you retire. Starting in 2023, new beneficiaries will begiven the opportunity to choose from competing plans certified by Medicare that provide adequate and affordable coverage to all seniors, regardless of health history. These plans would compete against each other to deliver the highest quality care at the lowest price, making the entire system more affordable, efficient, and sustainable over the long-term. Low-income seniors would be provided with a fully-funded health savings account to cover any out-of-pocket costs, ensuring that all seniors have access to the best care.

Therehave been some flat out lies about the plan floating around out there,including some who say it would “end Medicare as we know it.” This issimply untrue. Politifact declared this statement the “Lie of the Year”in 2011. The House Republican plan saves and strengthens Medicare, itdoes not end it. On the other hand, Obamacare has already cut Medicare by$700 billion over the next ten years in order to pay for a massive federaltakeover of our healthcare system. It is the Administration’s plan, or Ishould say, lack of a plan, that will ultimately end Medicare as we know it.

In 2008 and 2009,President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress had a choice. Theyknew then that decreasing revenues were jeopardizing the future solvency ofMedicare. But, rather than sit down with all parties to discuss asolution to this impending bankruptcy, the President chose to pursue ahistorically unpopular and ill-conceived government takeover of our nation’shealth care system. The entire nation knows that Obamacare has been aresounding failure. It has increased premiums, ballooned the deficit,hampered small businesses during a time of economic recession, and cut $700billion from Medicare. The Administration needs to come to terms withreality rather than spreading mistruths and then covering up their failures byscaring seniors and blaming Republicans. The fact is, we have a plan tosave Medicare and the President doesn’t, and at the end of the day, theAmerican people will decide which path to follow come November.

[TexasGranny]

There are always 2 sides to every story - especially those published by the Communist Party USA website.

Here's the other side - the CWA doesn't sound like it lost anything during negotiations. I am sure the members on this
site that work at a regular JOB for someone else would love to see a 4% salary increase.

PRNewswire

Verizon and CWA Reach Tentative Agreement On New Five-Year Labor Contract for Texas Employees

General Improvements in Wages and Benefits

Keep Workers Among Best-Compensated in Region


IRVING, Texas, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6171 reached tentative agreement today at 1:30 a.m.
on a new five-year labor contract in Texas. The contract covers approximately 3,100 Texas hourly-paid employees, chiefly technicians and customer service
representatives, who work in North Texas, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, the Hill Country, San Angelo, Bryan/College Station, League City, Baytown, the Gulf Coast
and Rio Grande regions, and hundreds of communities throughout the state. Bargaining on the contract began on July 7. The previous contract expired at midnight Sunday.

The agreement provides an immediate 4 percent lump-sum payment to union- represented employees in the first year of the contract. In addition, base wages
will increase 1 percent in the first year, 2 percent in the second year, 2.5 percent in the third year, 2.5 percent in the fourth year, and 2.5 percent in the final year of the contract.

"The tentative agreement improves wages and delivers a strong overall benefits package for our employees," said Ron Johnson, co-chair of the Verizon bargaining committee.
"At the same time, the five-year term of the new contract will provide valuable stability for both employees and Verizon. It also will position us to continue delivering outstanding
service to our customers and outstanding value to our shareholders." The tentative agreement also includes new provisions that allow Verizon to compete more successfully
over the long term against cable companies.

Donna Bentley, CWA bargaining committee chair, said: "The bargaining we and the company conducted since early July is a model for labor negotiations. We focused on
gaining the best possible set of wages, benefits and work rules for our members, while realizing that Verizon must have the flexibility to compete against all forms of
communications companies and new technologies." Bentley said the CWA bargaining committee will recommend ratification of the tentative agreement to its members,
with results expected by mid- September. A simple majority of those voting is required for ratification.

Upon ratification, the new contract will be effective from Aug. 15, 2004, through Aug. 15, 2009. Key elements of the proposed agreement include: -- Creation of two new
job classifications -- A new job classification, fiber network field technician, will be established to perform installation and technical support involving Verizon's
soon-to-be-offered Fios set of products and services over its fiber-optic network in Keller and other North Texas communities. Verizon last month announced plans to
expand its fiber-to-the-premises initiative to California and Florida. In addition, a term employee designation has been established - with full benefits and union membership
eligibility - to provide an in-house option for handling seasonal or peak work requirements. These positions may be staffed from 6 to 36 months. -- Improvement of benefits
for employees and retirees -- Employees served by the medical plans in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Central and West Texas region will see increased provider options.

In addition, company-provided contributions for retiree medical insurance will be increased. Pension minimum levels will be increased. -- Addition of one
personal holiday -- Effective Jan. 1, 2007, employees will receive one additional paid holiday, bringing to 14 the number of holidays employees can take annually. The
company and the union also agreed to form joint committees to discuss issues such as Fios jobs of the future, overtime, incentive compensation, diversity and
education/training. Separately, negotiations continue between Verizon and the CWA for a contract involving 114 employees in Texas who work in the company's
Supply Chain Service organization, which handles logistics functions. The smaller contract expires at midnight on Aug. 21.

A Dow 30 company, Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services, with approximately $68 billion in
annual revenues. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States. Verizon is also the largest directory
publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and circulation. Verizon's international presence includes wireline and wireless communications operations
and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts and other information are available at Verizon's
News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic
delivery of Verizon news releases.

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Sounds like they did pretty good for a recession with 8.3% + unemployment.