Median earnings for union and non-union workers

What is union-busting? Union-busting is when an external organization encourages union members to stop paying union dues. Their aim is to destroy unions and deprive workers of workplace benefits, such as pay raises, health-care, vacation time, personal business holidays, our birthday holidays, and so much more.

What they say: That union members can save money by stop being a dues-paying member of CWA Local 4502, and still get the benefits of membership with no adverse consequences or effects on contracts and collective bargaining.

What it means: Weaken the Union’s ability to bargain for improved pay, benefits and working conditions – our contract – and eventually leads to the Union disappearing. Don’t forget that the employer is not legally obliged to give us any benefits. Who will negotiate for us then? The Union-buster? NO! They have not put a dime into our pockets but they want to take money from our paychecks to fund billionaires.

They do not care about our pay or how we will feed our family and fill the car with gas. Dues-paying union members get more from the union than the union takes from us through exclusive union benefits and collective bargaining power.

Median earnings for union and non-union workers

The choice is easy.

 

What they say: That you have a choice to pay your union dues and that you should choose not to. 

What it means: It means that the Union will lose strenth and may eventually disappear. Regardless of how you might feel about Unions, you enjoy the benefits that come with it. Consider this: If you were at the store and a coworker’s cart was full of groceries and they have just paid for it.  Would you take some of, or all, of your coworkers’ groceries, just because you could?

What they say:  Unions only want your money to give to politicians who do not represent your values.

What it means: How do these people know what your values are? CWA has a Political Action Fund (PAF), which is separate to paying union-dues.  Members choose if they wish to contribute to that fund, which goes to candidates at a state or national level.

CWA Local 4502 gives small amounts of money to a few local labor friendly political candidates from both parties. We do this to advance members’ interests at work. If you know of any candidates who are labor friendly and will help our members, please let us know.

We are political because we have to be to get the best contracts for our members, but we are not party political as union-busters claim  Many people do not care for the political aspect, which is understandable; however, just about every company out there has lobbyists who work for, or are affiliated to politicians or their parties because it gives them influence. Unions have a duty to get the best for workers and are the only voice working people and families have – Unions serve as our lobbyists. “If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu” (Pat Rusk, a teacher’s union president).

Please help us this Holiday season with the Union Cares/Union Shares program in conjunction with the Central Ohio Labor Union/AFL-CIO and St. Stephen’s Community House.

This program helps union families that have fallen on hard times, been layed-off or placed out of work.

Donate canned goods at the CWA Local 4502 Members’ Holiday Party on December 7 (4 – 7 pm at Ohio Brewing Co) where you can be entered in a gift card raffle, drop off canned goods at the union hall (399 E. Main St), or at 111 N Front St (1st floor) with Cindy Krebs, or get them to your department rep. Monetary donations can be made via check to Unions Share, 4150 E. Main Street, Columbus, OH 43213 or online via saintstephensch.org.

If you can donate your time, volunteers are needed to help sort canned items and fill orders on December 12 – 20, 9 am – 6pm, at St. Stephens Community House (1500 E. 17th Ave). Volunteers can sign up for specific dates and time slots at www.saintstephensch.org. This is a fun even and you can help for as little as an hour or two.

Thank you for your generosity in supporting our brothers and sisters in need.

CWA Local 4502
Members’ Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
4 – 7 pm
Ohio Brewing Company
421 E Second Avenue
RSVP to [email protected]

Let’s all enjoy the season with our union brothers and sisters for a members get together. Food and refreshments are provided and there is a cash bar. Raffles every hour for $50.00 gift cards. To enter the raffle, bring canned goods (we are collecting for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank). Get a raffle ticket for each canned good you donate.

Last night at the City of Columbus council meeting, President Wilson was invited to speak on behalf of our membership in support of frontline workers to receive hazard pay. Needless to say, she was very well received. The legislation was approved to issue one-time hazard payments to frontline city employees in an amount up to $1,000.00 per employee. All the details have not been worked out and we will be providing updates as they become available.

 

 

Healthcare Insurance Information

July 15, 2021

 

 

Some employees in July received a letter concerning step therapy changes beginning September 1, 2021.  This letter was sent in error by UHC.  There is a letter being sent advising employees to disregard the previous letter with an apology for the error and any confusion.

 

HOWEVER, if you receive a letter in August, please follow the directions provided in the letter.  The first letter was sent to a broader number of employees and did not necessarily apply.  As per UHC, the August letter will be sent to only those that are impacted by plan changes.

Juneteenth Personal Day for 2021

07-15-21

 

The Juneteenth Observance legislation, which included the Personal Business Day Memorandum of Understanding, is going for vote by City Council on July 19th.  It will then be loaded into Dayforce in the following week.  Please monitor you balances on your check stub.  Once it appears on your check stub it is available for use.

Update to Merit Pay   –     07/2/21

 

 

There was an inordinate number of reviews submitted in the past week to Civil Service.  Civil Service continues to work through the processing of these reviews and will have a better idea toward the end of next week if payments will be processed by 07/29/21 or 7/15/21.

It appears that all merit requests have been submitted to Civil Service. They should all be processed by 7/1/21.  All employees eligible for merit pay should receive all increases and back pay on the 7/15/21 paycheck.

 

Processing of 2021 merit increases will begin as soon as the 2020 merits have been completed.