CWA Members at AT&T Reach a Tentative Agreement for a New Contract in the Southeast and other news

Last week, CWA Local 7304 members hosted Vice President Kamala Harris for a tour of the New Flyer electric bus manufacturing plant in St. Cloud, Minn.

After the tour, in a televised speech at the facility, the Vice President highlighted how the Administration’s investments in electric vehicles are creating a clean energy economy that works for all and good-paying, union jobs. Wade Walvatne, a maintenance technician at New Flyer and vice president of CWA Local 7304, introduced Vice President Harris and thanked her and President Biden for their commitment to rebuilding the middle class in the U.S. by investing in good, union jobs. “Electric buses are key to the future of public transportation in America — which is why, since taking office, together with Democrats and Republicans, we have invested over $5.5 billion to put thousands of new electric transit buses on the streets of our nation,” Harris told the crowd. “And we’ve also done that to create jobs – so people can have decent work hours and have good-paying, union jobs.”

In a statement, CWA President Chris Shelton recognized the Administration’s efforts to secure funding for “job-creating infrastructure projects, like modernizing our nation’s aging fleet of buses” and ensuring that states are using those funds as intended to create good jobs. Alluding to Joe Biden’s 2009 visit to the St. Cloud New Flyer facility, CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister added, “Back then, we were helping with the transition to hybrid buses, and today it’s the transition to electric. The future of our economy is in green jobs and it is in union jobs.”

Following the event, Veronica Puentes, one of the members who accompanied the Vice President on the tour, appeared on the Symone Sanders show on MSNBC and discussed how being a part of the event made her and her co-workers feel proud about their jobs. “Hearing what she had to say, it brought hope. [S]he made it to our company to speak to us, union members, and let us know that they are doing their best to make a difference. It was amazing to me…it brought me a lot of hope,” said Puentes, who spoke on the show as part of a panel of workers.

CWA Local 7304 Vice President Wade Walvatne introduced Vice President Kamala Harris at an event at the New Flyer electric bus manufacturing plant in St. Cloud, Minn.

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CWA Local 7304 members took Vice President Kamala Harris on a tour of the New Flyer plant and discussed their work manufacturing electric buses and the importance of investing in good, union jobs.

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Following the event, Veronica Puentes, one of the members who accompanied the Vice President on the tour, appeared on the Symone Sanders show on MSNBC.

AT&T Mobility and DirecTV (Black)

CWA members at AT&T Mobility have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract covering over 7,000 workers in the Southeast region. The new proposed 4-year contract includes substantial raises to base wages with adjustments for inflation, job title upgrades, paid parental leave, improved overtime language, new stipends for work-from-home agents, enhanced job security protections, additional commuter benefits, increased severance payments, and more improvements. Building on gains from the previous contract, the new agreement also includes an increase in call center call volume guarantees, sets a minimum percentage for company-owned retail stores, and extends job security protections to all job titles covered by the agreement. A ratification vote will be held once the members have an opportunity to review the details of the agreement. Click here for more details on the tentative agreement.

CWA District 3 members at DirecTV are working without a contract after a 72-hour extension expired on Monday. However, the bargaining committee continues to negotiate to reach a final agreement with the company. While there has been some progress, the company is refusing to meet the workers’ reasonable demands on critical issues such as wages and benefits. The members are continuing to mobilize to build power and reach a fair contract that recognizes the hard work and commitment they bring to the company.

On Wednesday, CWA District 3 members at DirecTV held informational pickets to demand a fair contract that includes the wages and benefits they deserve.

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Liberty Latin America Ltd.

Members of CWA Local 3010 at Liberty Latin America Ltd., which took over AT&T’s operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2020, held a rally ahead of the beginning of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The current agreement expires on February 24, 2023. For the past several months, the workers and the bargaining committee have been preparing to address the issues that impact the members and their families including fair compensation, job security, and keeping their benefits intact. CWA represents over 700 workers at Liberty, including call center representatives, network employees, and retail sales representatives spread around different locations in Puerto Rico. For more bargaining updates, click here.

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American Airlines

Passenger Service Agents at American Airlines, members of the CWA-IBT Association, are continuing to negotiate for a fair contract. The bargaining committee is determined to address critical issues that impact members and their families including wages, benefits, and working conditions. Members at stations across the country are continuing to mobilize to strengthen their power at the bargaining table. This week, the members showed some Valentine’s Day love to their bargaining team by sharing their solidarity selfies and group pictures on social media.

American Red Cross

A group of employees who work as part of the mobile blood collections team at the American Red Cross have voted unanimously to join CWA Local 2204. The workers are part of a growing movement of American Red Cross workers who are joining CWA to have a voice in the workplace. Last year, American Red Cross employees in Roanoke, Salem, Lynchburg, and Blacksburg, Va., unanimously voted to join CWA Local 2204.

CWA Activists in Kentucky Build Power

Activists from IUE-CWA, CWA District 3, and United Campus Workers (UCW-CWA) participated in a lobby day in Kentucky, along with labor allies such as Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. Nearly 60 union members from across the state came to meet with their State Representatives and Senators, discuss what is going on in their respective districts, and advocate for pro-worker policies. They focused on the protection and expansion of voting rights and other critical issues that impact working families. Volunteers from the Kentucky State AFL-CIO and other supporters contributed to making the lobby day a success.

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IUE-CWA prioritized the recruitment of new activists to build the Union’s Political Action Committees across the state and ensure that pro-labor Democratic Governor Andy Beshear stays in office during this 2023 election cycle. During the lobby day, several members from the newly formed Political Action Committee at IUE-CWA Local 83761 met with the Governor. For most of the activists, this was their first opportunity to meet their State Representatives.

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As part of the lobby day, a group of CWA activists including CWA Local 3310 Broadband Brigade member Jason DeValdivielso met with Gov. Beshear to solidify his commitment to high labor standards and a fiber preference in broadband expansion using federal funds.

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The UCW-CWA Kentucky union continues to grow and so does their political power. The UCW-CWA members who participated in the lobby day also had the chance to meet the Governor and their Representatives to discuss legislation that will impact higher education and advocate for their priorities in the upcoming election cycle.