Brooklyn Temporary Transfers to Assignments

Message from the Executive Board

We are aware that temporary transfers to assignments to Brooklyn and elsewhere are causing a major hardship for those members impacted by the transfers.  It is important for all of our members to know that these transfers to assignments have been going on for over three years and are only now starting to hit departments/work locations that have been immune to such transfers to assignments in the past.  The Executive Board has done everything within its power to keep the transfers to Brooklyn and elsewhere, temporary.  We understand that even temporary transfers create burdens and issues, even though CWA had foresight and was able to successfully negotiate dramatic DTA increases in order to mitigate the hardship of such transfers.  With regard to the temporary transfers to assignments in Brooklyn, the company decided to put conditions on the transfers, which included determining the specific qualifications and work locations from which the transfers would occur from, thereby decreasing the size of the pool of eligible employees. The Executive Board has been successful in increasing the size of the pool a number of times in the past, but the number of volunteers for such transfers were very small or non- existent, which often caused the same members to experience the hardship over and over.  We do not think that is fair.  The Local Executive Board has continuously argued and will continue to advocate for a fair rotation for such transfers to assignments; time limits on the length of transfers; and the creation of larger pools of employees without regard to qualification to be eligible for such temporary transfers to assignments, so the few aren't the only ones repeatedly impacted by temporary transfers to assignments. Every Member should know that just last week the Executive Board was successful in limiting the temporary transfers to assignments in Brooklyn from a year to two months.  This took hard work.  However as a consequence of that activism and achievement, it now means a new group of employees will be rotated into those transfers to assignments.  The Executive Board has no preference and will not decide who will be temporarily transferred to an assignment.  We don't want to see any member go to an assignment against their will.  It would be like asking a parent to choose between children.  There is no right answer.  Our motivation is for the fair treatment of all of our members.  But what is not fair, is for the same members to go over and over and over again, or to go for a year with no relief.  If we have the ability to effectuate a positive change for those treated unfairly, we use it.  This Executive Board is in the arena working to make a bad situation better.  We could choose to sit on the sideline, which frankly would be easier, and allow only a handful to suffer out of sight out of mind for a year, far away from their homes and family.  But that wouldn't be right!  So we stand by our advocacy for fair rotations, time limits, and larger pools of employees to be eligible for such transfers to assignments, because it is the union thing to do and it is the right thing to do.