Congratulations to all Verizon retirees, from your Officers, Business Agents, Chief Stewards, Stewards, and Alternate Stewards. We wish all of you a long, happy and healthy retirement. Over 850 Local 827 members left the Verizon payroll on July 3, 2010. 1009 members applied for the enhanced EISP. Our next task will be to work out the details enabling our non-surplus group to leave on the second off-payroll date of Saturday, September 18, 2010.

We still have some 50 members who were in the held (over subscribed) category who will be leaving on the second date. New notification letter will be mailed to this group. Many problems plagued us in dealing with correct pension calculations, benefit questions, notification letters, and local management swapping employees from the first off-date to the second.

Verizon denied our request to buy back any unused EWD (excused work days) or PH (personal holiday) for those who left on July 3, 2010. If you are one of these members, please notify your Business Agent. We will decide what action to take against Verizon.

We have scheduled a second meeting with Verizon Labor Relations on Wednesday, July 14 to continue discussions over releasing all the non-surplus employees who applied for the enhanced EISP. We have been made aware that the Directors for Storekeepers and Conduit Inspectors has placed openings in RAMP. Details will follow after our meeting on the 14^th.

On Tuesday, July 13, we will be meeting with Verizon Labor Relations and Vice President Regional Operation-NJ, Lee Brathwaite. Lee is in charge of all copper and FiOS work in New Jersey. Vice President Joe Penna and I have already met a few times with Lee to discuss schedules, GPS, work operations, and zero tolerance. We have been informed our FiOS work load has increased in New Jersey, which is a good sign. This could protect NJ from additional lay-offs.

The Saturday schedules for the FiOS work force has been reduced to 30%. These changes are taking place in the upcoming week. On the copper side, we have been informed all construction schedules have been changed, statewide. We will review and discuss this matter at the July 13^th meeting.

In the central offices and call centers ( the FSC, DRC and EVRC) we will be setting up meetings with each department Vice President to review and discuss matters effecting work operations and the impact to the Local 827 workforce. With all the Network Technicians leaving and the need to release non-surplus in this title, openings will need to be filled.

Your leadership is working towards resolving issues. Our goal is to protect each member in each work group. The task to big, yet not impossible. We will continue to meet with each department head. I ask our membership remain united, stay focused and listen to your union. We can and will remain strong if we operate as one.

Bill Huber

President/Business Manager