Covid-19 3-26-2020

CWA LOCAL13101

3/26/2020

COVID 19 Update;

The federal relief package is done and the minimum for each state is $1.25 billion for expenses related to COVID-19. This should assist in the paid leave  granted here in Delaware by the state and county.

We have been in constant communication with our employers in an attempt to resolve immediate issues and plan for complications that could result during this extraordinary circumstance we find ourselves in.

Some of the agreements with our employers include; personal time extensions,  paid leave without negative impact to our members, increased pay during state of emergency, increased comp time during state of emergency, extensions on grievance time lines, work from home , home garaging. The employers ,although resistant on some levels, have been willing to work out arrangements to care for most of the concerns we have raised.

This local has a high number of essential employees in a many of bargaining units and the CBAs vary on treatment during a declared state of emergency. The CBAs that have language pertaining to these events were written with weather related incidents in mind, but they are very important for the situation we face today. The idea of a weather emergency is that it may last a week, but this will last much longer and create a financial burden for our employers. The federal relief package is vital for our public sector employers to be able to get through this pandemic and be able to treat our members the way they deserve to be treated.

The private sector employers, primarily Verizon, have lead the way with agreements to care for our members effected by this virus. Up to 26 weeks paid leave if diagnosed and varying levels of paid leave to care for the scenarios our members may face regarding this unprecedented time. 

We normally fight with our employers over issues of all types ,CBA negotiations, dismissals, discipline of all kinds, but during this event there seems to be a different perspective that should be noted. There are ways to work together and improve the quality of life of our members while delivering the results business needs to survive, and hopefully we can build on these actions further when we get through this.

Thank you for all that you do every day; working through obstacles that shouldn’t be there, dealing with situations that are out of the twighlight zone, and always conducting yourselves in a professional manner even when faced with all the craziness that surrounds us.

Being Proud is an understatement when it comes to CWA LOCAL 13101 !!

We will get through this, TOGETHER, we are a Great Local in a Great Union because of our Great members !!

SOLIDARITY FOREVER !!