cwa newsletter, february 14, 2013

7/29/2019 CWA Newsletter, February 14, 2013

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February 14, 2013

Send tips [email protected]@CWANews. Follow the latestdevelopments atwww.resistancegrowing.org.

You Won't Want to Miss Next Week's Town Hall Call: Thursday,Feb. 21

US Airways-American Merger Offers Opportunity for Workers at

Both Airlines Stand Up for Good Jobs in Charleston: T-Mobile Workers Speak Out Convention Proposals: Make Sure Your Voice is Heard Working Families Say 'Jobs, Not Cuts!' We Need an Economy and Democracy That Works for All Cablevision Workers Stand Tough for Their Union and Their Rights Bargaining Update Join CWA at the Largest U.S. Climate Rally Ever Mexico Day of Action Spotlights Attack on Workers' Rights Senate Reauthorizes Violence Against Women Act

You Won't Want to Miss Next Week's Town Hall Call: Thursday, Feb.21

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Join CWAers from around the country on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.,ET. It's an important call, with updates on everything affecting CWAmembers and our union.

Register here: http://cwa-union.org/cwacall.

US Airways-American Merger Offers Opportunity for Workers at BothAirlines
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2/12

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Here's CWA's statement on the announcement of the US Airways-American Airlines merger:

This merger is a positive development for employees at both airlines.CWA commends the management of US Airways for recognizing thevalue of its partnership with union workers and its work to build an evenstronger airline going forward.

CWA will actively support this merger throughout the review process.

Under the US Airways management team, this merger offers a hugeopportunity for union workers from the reservations office to the cabin toground operations to work together and create a global model of what

flying and work life can be. That's a big plus for customers as well.

Passenger service agents at American Airlines now have anopportunity to get the union voice they want and to join with theircolleagues at US Airways, where some 6,000 agents already haveunion representation.

US Airways agents know that negotiation and bargaining rights are theonly way to make real improvements in wages and working conditions,and are bargaining now for a new contract. Piedmont fleet andpassenger service agents have a first contract at US Airways, more

evidence that the process works when workers and management arecommitted to bargaining rights. Flight Attendants at US Airways,represented by AFA-CWA, now are voting on a tentative agreement.

CWA looks forward to working with our alliance partner, the TransportWorkers Union, and other employee groups in this new partnership.

Stand Up for Good Jobs in Charleston: T-Mobile Workers Speak Out

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On Saturday, CWA will host a forum spotlighting several local T-MobileUSA employees who will speak out about T-Mobile's attack on workers'rights and keeping good jobs in Charleston, S.C.

"In the U.S., T-Mobile workers face threats to their jobs and fear andintimidation on the job every day while workers at the same company in
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Germany have bargaining rights and a strong voice," said CWA PresidentLarry Cohen. "T-Mobile USA workers also want a union voice and we arepartnering with ver.di, Germany's largest union, to provide that voice. It'stime that Deutsche Telekom ended its support for its U.S. subsidiary'sconstant attack on freedom of association here."

That's the message International Trade Union Confederation GeneralSecretary Sharan Burrow, who will join Cohen and community leaders inCharleston, has been emphasizing during her swing through the U.S. thisweek. We can't allow two-faced corporations to uphold collective bargainingrights at home, while attacking them abroad, she said.

"The export of the American model of corporations is now in fact driving theattacks on fundamental rights. Profits at all costs," she said at a pressbriefing at the AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C. Burrow added, "I'm veryexcited about meeting T-Mobile workers. This is a global campaign."

Adding urgency to workers' job security concerns is T-Mobile's proposedmerger with Metro PCS, the fifth largest U.S. wireless carrier, whichoutsources 100 percent of its customer service work to overseas callcenters. Last year, T-Mobile closed seven U.S. call centers affecting 3,300workers. The Labor Department certified that workers were entitled to tradeadjustment assistance because T-Mobile offshored that work to thePhilippines and Central America.

T-Mobile workers will be joined by their German counterparts, employees ofT-Mobile's parent company, Deutsche Telecom, who work at a call center

in Berlin. German workers are visiting Charleston to see first-hand how T-Mobile treats its employees.

Convention Proposals: Make Sure Your Voice is Heard

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Since 2006, CWA has led the way in renewing the labor movement. Weadopted a "Ready for the Future Report," created the Strategic IndustryFund, added four at-large diversity members to the Executive Board, and

tightened our belts and our policies to get more done with fewer people.

Much remains to be done. Members are doing a lot: participating inlegislative and political work, organizing, mobilizing in support of bargainingand working with our allies. But we still have a tough road ahead of us, asdoes every other union in the U.S. facing a continuing attack on bargaining
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rights.

Our current financial assumptions suggest that dues revenue will continueto decline at about 4 percent per year and 20 percent over the next fiveyears. That's a $15 million reduction over five years. We must take bold

steps now to make our union more effective at all levels, from local unionsto the National CWA.

When delegates gather in April in Pittsburgh for CWA's 74th convention,there will be several important proposals and constitutional amendments toconsider.

A new CWA web site, http://cwafuture.ning.com, has been created toprovide local leaders and members with information about these proposalsand offer an opportunity to ask questions, raise issues and discuss them.

We believe that a free and open discussion of these proposals will lead tochanges that will, once again, move our union forward. Please join in thediscussion of these important next steps for the future of our union.

Working Families Say 'Jobs, Not Cuts!'

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Activists from CWA's headquarters join the rally in Upper Senate Park.

Below: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka speaks to workers.
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More than 1,500 activists flooded Capitol Hill Tuesday, rallying againstdeep cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

CWA joined AFSCME, AFGE and others in standing together to say, "Jobs,not cuts!" Unless Congress acts, a series of automatic budget cuts a.k.a.sequestration will come down on March 1. It would slash $85 billion fromthe federal budget in 2013, with more than $1 trillion in cuts coming overthe next decade.

"The opponents of working people are always coming up with technicalterms to scare good people into accepting bad ideas, ideas likesequestration," said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. "Let me tell yousomething. Sequestration is nothing but a word. Nothing but a long word

with a simple purpose, and that's to hide a bad idea that we can cut ourway to a prosperous future."

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joinedworkers in urging their congressional colleagues to protect vital governmentprograms and services.

Read more about the rally in The Hilland The Washington Post.

We Need an Economy and Democracy That Works for All

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The following is the statement issued by CWA on President Obama's Stateof the Union Address:

CWA commended President Obama for his proposals to help ensure
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that working and middle class Americans benefit as our economy slowlyimproves.

We must bring quality jobs back to the U.S. by eliminating tax benefitsfor companies that send U.S. jobs overseas. CWA strongly supports

legislation that would end taxpayer subsidies for corporations that movecall center jobs offshore, among other measures. There must be toughpublic policy that encourages corporations especially those thatfocus on the U.S. market to keep good jobs here.

And as the President moves forward on a trade agreement with theEuropean Union, we will work to make sure that the bargaining andorganizing rights essential in European nations such as Germany arereciprocal in the U.S. We will work with global labor to that end, as wewill do with the Trans Pacific Partnership.

CWA supports the President's plan to create a real path to citizenshipfor 11 million workers and their children. It's to the benefit of Americanworkers and the U.S. economy to bring these immigrants out of theshadow, with the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship. But trueimmigration reform is just one of several key democracy initiatives thatmust be addressed by our nation.

Another was clearly illustrated by one of the First Lady's invited guests,a 102-year old Haitian immigrant and Florida citizen, Desaline Victor,who was forced to wait in line for three hours to cast her vote in the2012 election. Our country prides itself on being the world's exceptional

democracy. But this isn't how democracy works. Universal voting rightsand fixing a broken election system are the hallmark of a realdemocracy.

We must also address the corrosive influence of money in politics.CWA and progressive allies will continue to fight to overturn theSupreme Court's disastrous "Citizens United" decision. Corporationsare not people and are not entitled to constitutional rights.

Working and middle class families already have endured 40 years ofstagnant and falling wages. They've watched thousands of their jobs go

offshore to the benefit a handful of our nation's wealthiest individuals.Now it's time for economic policies that create good jobs in the U.S. andenable workers to have a voice through bargaining rights.

Cablevision Workers Stand Tough for Their Union and Their Rights


7/12

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Brooklyn Cablevision workers are standing strong against a managementthat won't recognize that workers have rights to organize and bargain a

contract.

Check out this video and then sign the petition to reinstate all 22 locked outworkers.

In January, 22 Brooklyn Cablevision-Optimum workers were illegally lockedout and fired, part of the company's campaign to illegally punish workers forforming and supporting their union, CWA Local 1109.

After repeated refusals to by Cablevision CEO James Dolan to meet,elected officials in NYC held a press conference at Madison Square

Garden (also owned by Dolan) urging him to stop the company's abuse ofworkers and warning the company that those actions violate its franchisewith New York City.

Joining the news conference were Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, NYCCouncil Speaker Christine Quinn, former NYC Comptroller William C.Thompson, Jr., and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

Bargaining Update

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CenturyLink members from Local 7096 in Salem, Ore., stand up for a faircontract.
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CWA Local 7108 members leaflet to build support for a fair contract atCenturyLink.

Members of Local 9413 in Las Vegas participate in mobilization training forAT&T Mobility bargaining.


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CWA members in Davenport, Iowa, mobilize for a fair contract at AT&TMobility.

CWA bargainers reached two tentative agreements with

CenturyLink/Arkansas covering members of Local 6171. Onecontact had expired in 2010, the other in 2011. The local bargainingteams, with CWA District 6 Representative Guy Stewart andTelecommunications/Technologies administrative director LoisGrimes-Patow pulled it all together.

Negotiations are continuing with CenturyLink (the former Qwest)covering 13,000 CWAers in these D7 states: Arizona, New Mexico,Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, North

Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa. CWA'sExecutive Board voted Feb. 13 to authorize the CWA President toset a strike date.

Bargaining will get underway for a first contract for telecom workersat Lantel Communications in Blue Springs, Mo., who voted lastmonth for representation by CWA Local 6360.

The contract covering 22,000 AT&T Mobility members covered bythe "Orange Contract" has been extended while negotiationscontinue. The agreement expired late Feb. 9.

After several months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with C&D


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Technologies in Attica, Ind., about 250 IUE-CWA representedworkers went on strike Wednesday. Read more here.

CWA Local 3180 members picketed Florida's Indian River CountySchool District office all week, protesting cuts to support staffbonuses and salary schedule. Read more here.

Join CWA at the Largest U.S. Climate Rally Ever

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Crippling drought. Devastating wildfires. Superstorm Sandy. Climatechange is a real threat.

On Sunday, Feb. 17, CWA President Larry Cohen and activists fromaround the country will be standing up for workers' and environmentalrights. It's time to join with thousands of people to send a clear message toour elected officials in Washington: Protect the future of our children andthe entire planet. We can't wait we need action now.

What: The largest climate rally in U.S. history.

When: Feb. 17, 2013. CWA will meet at 11:15 a.m.; the official eventends at 4:00 p.m.

Where: CWA will meet at the main entrance to the National Museum ofAmerican History on Constitution Avenue NW between 14th and15th Street. The closest subway station is Federal Triangle.

Please register and find out about transportation athttp://forwardonclimate.org.

Mexico Day of Action Spotlights Attack on Workers' Rights

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Washington, DC activists and CWAers, including President Larry Cohen,will demonstrate in front of the Mexican consulate next Thursday, Feb. 21,as part of a week-long, worldwide protest against the pervasive attack on
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workers' rights in Mexico. More than 10,000 activists will mobilize forworkers' rights at embassies and consulates around the world.

Delegations will deliver a letter to Mexico's President Enrique Pea Nieto,spotlighting the "legacy of major unresolved labor disputes, persecution of

democratic trade unionism, and the decomposition of labor relationsgenerating an entrenched system of protection contracts that do notrepresent workers' true interests" left by the past administration. Thisincludes workers' efforts to form democratic unions, particularly at Atento,where workers have sought to be members of the Mexican TelephoneWorkers Union (STRM), a close CWA ally.

Senate Reauthorizes Violence Against Women Act

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With broad bipartisan support, the Senate reauthorized the long-delayedViolence Against Women Act this week.

The 78-to-22 vote moves forward legislation to revamp domestic violenceprograms, as well as extend the law's protections to the LGBT communityand Native Americans.

Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who delivered the Republican response toPresident Barack Obama's State of the Union address, voted against thebill. He was joined by his fellow Republicans John Barrasso (Wyo.), Roy

Blunt (Mo.), John Boozman (Ark.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Cornyn(Texas), Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.),Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Orrin Hatch (Utah), James Inhofe (Okla.), MikeJohanns (Neb.), Ron Johnson (Wisc.), Mike Lee (Utah), Mitch McConnell(Ky.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Jim Risch (Idaho), Pat Roberts (Kansas), JeffSessions (Ala.), John Thune (S.D.) and Tim Scott (S.C.).

The bill's future in the GOP-dominated House remains uncertain. Last year,the House passed its own version of the legislation and refused to considerthe Senate's bill.

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cwa newsletter, february 14, 2013

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