NEWSLETTER
August 19, 2021
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Organizing Update
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AT&T In Home Experts
In a historic win, AT&T In Home Expert (IHX) workers in Southfield, Mich., overwhelmingly chose to join CWA with 84 percent of the vote. IHX workers nationwide want to join CWA, but have met strong resistance from AT&T at every step.
After AT&T refused to voluntarily recognize the union, workers filed an election petition with National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 7. AT&T used a series of tactics to delay the election, including an appeal to the full NLRB that resulted in the ballots being impounded.
The workers fought tirelessly against AT&T’s anti-union misinformation campaign and won the appeal. The decision in favor of the union had a positive impact on NLRB case law, narrowing the scope of a previous anti-union decision.
The IHX workers are ready to bargain for a strong contract that gives them a voice on the job.
If you know an IHX worker who is interested in doing something about issues at work, they can get more information at CWA.org/IHX.
Proposed Sale of Lumen Technologies Assets Must Preserve Good Jobs
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In a statement released this week on the proposed sale of Lumen Technologies assets to Apollo Global Management, CWA Vice Presidents Lisa Bolton and Brenda Roberts pledged to fight to protect jobs.
“CWA is committed to supporting and protecting our members during this transition,” said CWA Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton. “We will work together and fight for our members who are going to Apollo as well as our members who are staying at Lumen.”
CWA District 7 Vice President Brenda Roberts, who represents Lumen workers in the Mountain West region, added, “CWA members are eager to use their skills and experience to expand broadband access, especially to areas that are traditionally underserved. We will work to ensure that this transaction helps close the digital divide instead of boosting profits by cutting the jobs and services that our communities depend on.”
CWA will be active in the regulatory review process to preserve good jobs for its members and quality service for consumers.
Existing collective bargaining agreements will be in full force and effect with Apollo.
This proposed sale impacts approximately 1,200 CWA-represented workers in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The sale must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and state regulators.
Read CWA’s statement here.
Election Update
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California
On Monday, CWAers in California kicked off their “Vote No on the Recall” campaign in an effort to keep Governor Gavin Newsom in office. Governor Newsom has been a champion of working people in California. Most recently, he has worked with CWA and other unions to build the country’s strongest COVID-19 protections for essential workers and passed paid sick leave legislation, which gave workers the time they need to care for themselves and loved ones while keeping their families and communities safe.
The recall poses a direct threat to our jobs, wages, benefits and our union. The anti-union forces behind the recall are attempting to undo decades of progress on workers’ rights in the state.
The CWA campaign is being led by three Regional Coordinators, Vanessa Mesa (Southern Region), CWA Local 9509; Fidel Andrade (Central Region), CWA Local 9333; and Heladio Saldivar (Northern Region), CWA Local 9421, who are mobilizing members to join weekly phone banks and weekend labor walks.
CWAers also participated in a “Stop the Recall” campaign kickoff rally on August 7.
To join the phone bank on Mondays and Wednesdays at 5pm PT, sign up here.
CWA members have been participating in weekly phone banks to keep California Governor Gavin Newsom in office.
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Virginia
On Tuesday, CWA Local Leaders and activists in Virginia hosted a town hall event with gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe. McAuliffe is a pro-union candidate with a demonstrated history of protecting and expanding workers’ rights. As a former governor of Virginia from 2014-2018, he worked to build a 21st century economy that created good-paying union jobs across the state.
Making Virginia the first southern state to offer paid family medical leave, strengthening collective bargaining rights especially for state workers, investing in higher education and expanding job training programs, and increasing access to healthcare and making it more affordable are just a few of McAuliffe’s goals if he is elected.
“It’s a big election. You were there for me and I will be there for you. You have my word for it,” said McAuliffe, speaking to CWA activists during the town hall. The town hall kicked off CWA’s efforts to elect McAuliffe and two other statewide candidates in Virginia: Hala Ayala for Lieutenant Governor and Mark Herring for Attorney General. The CWA State Council will make endorsement decisions on candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates later this summer.
Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe joined CWA activists for a virtual town hall.
Bargaining Update
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Consolidated Communications (CCI)
CWA Local 1400 members at Consolidated Communications (formerly Fairpoint) in Northern New England overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract. The members reached a fair and equitable agreement after months of negotiations and worker-led actions, including several public demonstrations and a strike authorization vote. The four-year agreement, covering 1,000 workers in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, includes wage increases, limitations of movement of work, work from home provisions and more.
Members of CWA Local 1400 mobilized to win a fair and equitable contract at Consolidated Communications.
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Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center
After 15 months of difficult bargaining, 700 workers at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev., members of CWA Local 9413, won a solid contract earlier this year with across-the-board wage increases for all positions at the hospital. Two-thirds of the workers received larger raises than the minimum specified by the agreement. This was no easy victory. The company went as far as firing a member of the bargaining team in an effort to intimidate members into accepting an insulting offer. However, the union fought back the employer’s retrogressive proposals and illegal actions, prevailed in winning National Labor Relations Board charges against the company for firing the bargaining team member, and secured a fair contract.
NewsGuild-CWA Urges Department of Justice to Adopt Permanent Protections for Journalists
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In a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the NewsGuild-CWA, American Civil Liberties Union and National Association of Black Journalists called on the DOJ to adopt permanent protections for journalists and other observers covering protests.
The letter cited the DOJ’s ongoing effort to lift a preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for Oregon to protect journalists after the protests following the murder of George Floyd. In response, the organizations urged the DOJ to incorporate the protections for journalists and legal observers at protests outlined in the injunction into the DOJ’s Law Enforcement Guidelines for First Amendment Protected Events.
Read more here.
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