A Year in Review

This last year, an 1103 Member, a working man in our healthcare unit was fired from his job. His employer accused him of misrepresenting his time reporting, so he missed work without pay. But thanks to the representational skills and know-how of 1103's executive board and steward body, this Member got his job back.

As the year draws to a close, fourteen other Local 1103 Members can look back at 2014 with similar stories to share. These stories were only possible because of the leadership and the hard-work we were all engaged in together.

Again this year, CWA's 1103 Executive Board has been visible in every single workplace and unit because it's important to be accessible to our Membership and to hear, firsthand, their perspective. Listening to Member concerns and then working toward fair solutions are critical components of our responsibility to you. We think it's a pretty big deal and enjoy having direct interaction and dialogue with our Membership.

Overturning terminations are huge wins for 1103's working families in 2014, but they are far from the only ones. From opposing actual layoffs and other destructive proposals to mobilizing our membership in order to fight for fair contracts and justice for all workers, many lives were touched by collective victories this year.

For Healthcare workers the NYS budget incorporated legislation requiring Safe Patient Handling (SPH) programs. This a huge step forward for our members in the healthcare profession. CWA 1103's activism and years of work on this issue made a big difference. Each day our Nyack Hospital Members risked injury due to moving patients using out-of-date practices because state of the art equipment and techniques were not being made available.

For Telecommunication Members for a third year in a row we beat back de-regulatory language that would threaten job security and consumer protection. The Governor and Senate sought to take out protections against a bad sale or merger that was not in the Public interest. Local 1103 also played a huge role in securing a VFA in Harrison, NY. Shortly after the creation of the ground breaking Fios for All program, the VFA was approved, proving again that membership job security is always paramount. Local 1103 led the way on both fronts, and if you made the calls you were asked to make, pat yourself on the back.

For Connecticut Members in West Haven an agreement with the City of West Haven was reached on a new 4 year contract. However, it was with great sadness that we reported the passing of Thomas "Thom" Reilly from Local 1103's West Haven Supervisors unit. Thom was the Assistant Manager for the Community Development Administration for the City of West Haven and also a Marine veteran of the Vietnam era.

For CMED Members who have been in battle for survival, we continue to fight off elimination of the CMED. The Local 1103 Executive Board has protested layoffs and has met with City and State officials to bring attention to the ill-advised plan that will privatize regional emergency dispatch services. CMED the provider of emergency dispatch services is being forced to cut emergency dispatchers by more than half because New Haven Mayor Toni Harp (D) and the New Haven Office of Emergency Management seek changes in cost distribution among other towns. The Local has continued with the pressure and to this point, CMED is still operating. However, the situation is fluid.

For Rye the Local 1103 bargaining team recently announced a tentative agreement. The TA included no give backs and modest wage improvements. Also, new bereavement language was negotiated for all and time off with pay for part timers was improved.

CWA 1103 General News-- Local 1103 partnered with the Port Chester-based Don Bosco Workers, Inc. to launch the campaign named "No Pay No Way. We are working with a "broad based coalition" in order to build a movement for economic justice for all workers. Several Port Chester businesses were the first to put up a "Good Workplace" decal in their storefronts to show they follow all wage and hours law as part of a new campaign to make the village a no tolerance zone for wage theft.

At the District 1 conference, the 25th anniversary of the passing of Gerry Horgan was marked at the district awards dinner. A speech was given to the delegation on behalf of the Local to describe the importance of Gerry's life. Brian Horgan, brother of Gerry Horgan, was a special guest and he also spoke and thanked CWA for always supporting his family for the last 25 years.

Local 1103 welcomed a new generation of Stewards this year. The Stewards received training and are ready to help you and fight for you.

Local 1103 also welcomed new Members to the ranks of CWA Local 1103 and let them know that 1103 exists to serve all Members. The members are mechanics.

Many Local 1103 Members volunteered to knock on doors and make phone calls to help get labor friendly candidates elected.

These victories did not appear out of thin air. It took years of effort and dedication to see them through -- including training new union leaders, electing pro-labor candidates to office, and building public support for policies that put working families, our Members, at the center of our agenda. That's the work that CWA Local 1103 is engaged in every day.

It's an honor to represent so many hard working and dedicated men and women, which is why being "Proud to be 1103" is very easy.

Happy New Year! Peace and prosperity to all of our Members and their families.

In solidarity,
Kevin Sheil
President