Company moves workers - declares new location NON-UNION!

Apparently slithering through one legal loophole after another, CMP has announced its decision to merge the non-union Lewiston Phone Center with the Union Fairfield Credit Center to a new location in Augusta and to declare the resulting department non-union.

The move is currently scheduled to take effect November 13. Union members and officials are continuing to work against the loopholes and allow the Fairfield workers to maintain their union status. In the meantime, please read the following

Open Letter from the Union Workers at the Fairfield Phone Center:

In an effort to remind Management that we in Credit & Collection are Union Employees, will be relocating to Augusta as Union Employees, and plan on staying Union Employees, we have decided to show our solidarity by wearing blue on Tuesdays. It doesn’t matter what article of clothing is blue-shirt/blouse, pants, scarf, whatever-so long as it is some shade of blue.

Our Brothers and Sisters in both the Waterville Service Center and the Portland Call Center have expressed their desire to support us and their willingness to show that support by also wearing blue on Tuesdays. We have only begun to spread the word ……

soon we hope to have every union location at CMP showing their support by wearing blue on Tuesdays !!!!

We are recognize the need to stand together on retaining our Union membership! We don’t want to lose the benefits the Union provides (i.e. keeping our negotiated schedules/hours, keeping our seniority/bidding rights; our raises based on negotiation-not the "point system" currently in place in the Lewiston Call Ctr.; our better retirement benefits; and the fact that STATS cannot be used for disciplinary or termination action….to name just a few).

It has come to our attention that the Call Center Reps in Lewiston have been instructed not to speak with the Credit & Collection Reps in Fairfield regarding any of their benefits (including pay) or working conditions. We have also been advised that the Human Resources Dept. of CMP has also been instructed not to speak with anyone from Credit & Collections regarding any retirement issues, WHY??

Please show your Support by wearing blue on Tuesdays and remember…..we have to look out for ourselves.

Thank you, Fairfield Credit & Collection Union Employees

Show of Solidarity, November 13

Union Workers in several locations at CMP wore blue ribbons to work on Monday, November 13, in a one-day show of solidarity with their sisters and brothers who were starting their first day in the new call center while efforts continued behind the scenes to nullify the CMPs claim that they are now non-union workers.

Other Unions Show Support

Union officials were pleased and surprised this week (11/8/2000) to learn of an informational picket about the struggle that was held by union workers at an Energy East company in Connecticut. Officials from IBEW Local 1837 had travelled to Connecticut for a meeting of the several unions representing Energy East Companies to discuss issues of common concern.

When the meeting convened, they learned that, earlier that day, members of Connecticut Independent Utility Workers Local 12924 had picketed their company headquarters protesting the union busting at CMP! The head of Energy East was in town for the day and apparently saw the picketers. CIUW presented IBEW 1837 officials with photos from the event to bring back to Maine.
Picketers in front of the CT Natural Gas Corp Tuesday morning, November 8, 2000

Members of the CIUW have been wearing blue ribbons in support of the disenfranchised IBEW 1837 members at CMP.

Editor's note: Sorry about the cludgy placement of the photos. I'm learning this website stuff as I go - if there is anyone out there with some expertise who wants to spend a couple hours with me please let me know! I'm winging it pretty much on my own at this point with a little help from some books. Contact me if you can help. -cynthia

Thank you to our friends at the CIUW!

Story in Maine Labor News

This month's issue (December 2000) of the Maine Labor News contains an article on the efforts of the CMP phone center workers to maintain their union status. Meanwhile, union attorneys are filing Unfair Labor Practices against CMP in an effort to show the company's moves for what they are. Unfortunately for the morale of the workers, the legal system for ULPs can be painfully slow, and in the meantime the workers are without union representation.

The Maine Labor News is published by the Maine AFL-CIO and is available free. Copies can be obtained from your union steward or at the Maine IBEW 1837 union office.

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NLRB denies ULP (July 2001)

In July, IBEW 1837 received news that the NLRB has denied the charges of Unfair Labor Practices in the union-busting case. CMP has been able to make sufficient changes in the situation to technically comply with the law. At least for the time being, this means that workers in CMP's Augusta Phone Center will continue to work without a contract and without union representation.

For more information contact the Maine IBEW union office.