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It was good to see so many familiar faces at our CWA Day at 20 E. Thomas. Thank you to everyone who took out time from their busy day to attend. A special thank you to retirees Dee Cantoni and Terry Wich for all the hard work they put into the event! A number of members stopped by and either signed new COPE cards or increased their current contribution. Kathy McKee was the winner of the movie themed basket and Jason Real won the Diamondbacks basket. Congratulations to you both!

We are still looking for members who are willing to help with our committees. Please take a moment to review the committee website to see which one you would like to join. If you have any questions, call the chair listed or contact any officer.

I look forward to providing an update on our 2nd quarter spending once the Executive Board has reviewed and approved the financial statements for the months of February and March, 2010. The update will be sent out in a couple of weeks.

December 2009 concluded the first quarter of our fiscal budget. The total annual budget approved by the delegates of the 7th Annual Convention was approximately $596,000 or $149,000 per quarter. First quarter spending was approximately $148,500. Upon review of each individual line item in the budget, all items but four were in the black. The overages incurred in these four categories were largely the result of traditionally higher expenses during the first quarter and one time annual payments. These categories will level out as the year progresses.

We have been aggressively pursuing resolution of pending memberships. Currently, total pending members have been reduced to only 35. Debbie has been resubmitting the Qwest cards on a monthly basis and pending memberships have been reduced to only 15. As a result, the progress made with getting dues issues resolved in a more timely basis has greatly improved. Hopefully, AT&T Mobility will follow in their footsteps. The outstanding memberships for 14 AT&T Mobility members should be resolved within the next two months.

At our Local’s 7th Annual Convention held in August 2009, the delegates approved two changes to our Bylaws. I have been notified all necessary District 7 approvals have been obtained. We are in the process of revising the Bylaws and will have them posted to our website by March 1, 2010.

We are always looking for our members to become more involved with our Local. A great way to do this is to join one of the committees. Contact the Chair of the committee or any of your officers for more information.

The last issue of Solidarity News contained a list of things to do to prepare for a work stoppage. I would like to add another item. We will soon be receiving our Economic Stimulus Payments. Hopefully Qwest members are putting money away in case there is a work stoppage. So I encourage all of you to add this money to your savings. It is vital we are prepared!

It is extremely important we have your current contact information. Over the coming months we want to keep you informed. So we need to know the best way to reach you.

In the event of a work stoppage and you are eligible for disbursements from the Member’s Relief Fund, it is imperative we have your correct address to ensure you receive your check.

You can submit this information by email to shead@cwa7019.org. If you prefer, call the hall at 602 331-7019 and anyone can take your information.

Our Local has numerous committees needing your help. Here is a brief summary of some of the committees as it appears on our Local website (www.cwa7019.org):

If you are interested in helping with any of these committees, please contact the committee chair – their names and contact information appears on the 2^nd page of this newsletter.

Do you want to remain a member in good standing retaining all the benefits including voting rights? All you have to do is let us know and pay your dues based on your pension per the bylaws. Please contact me at either 602 331-7019 or shead@cwa7019.org for more information.

Things sure have been busy since I was sworn in as your new Secretary-Treasurer. We moved out of the old building and into our temporary location at 2501 W. Dunlap, Suite 103. Debbie McBride, Nanette Wick and myself have settled in and are hard at work.

I have been working on organizing the Secretary-Treasurer’s office. This has been a challenge in itself! In between, I am becoming familiar with CWA’s Uniform Operating Procedures, updating the Accounting Policy and Procedures for our Local, reviewing and updating membership lists along with many more projects.

As a new officer in this Local, I encourage all of you to become more involved and take an active part in the functions of your union over the coming year. The easiest way to get involved is to attend your unit meetings. Also, we have various committees looking for members. You can get more information about the committees at our website or contact the Chair of the committee.

I hope you all chose to become more active and look forward to seeing you at our next union function.