CWA District 1 Newsletter | December 6
Follow us on Twitter ►Like us on Facebook ►
WIRELESS WORKERS UNITE
"We are one industry" was the message as CWA members came together in San Antonio, TX for the Wireless Worker conference last week. The 300 participants included CWAers from AT&T Mobility, Verizon and Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, DIRECTV, Cricket and others. Together, participants talked about how they're taking on the challenges facing workers and how we can fight back.
The participants strategized about organizing in the wireless industry to build power, and panels of workers from different companies talked about their work to build our union and bargain good contracts.
"The wireless industry is the future," CWA President Chris Shelton said. He called organizing Verizon Wireless workers a major CWA priority, because to bargain good contracts, we must build a strong union presence in wireless.
Vice President Dennis Trainor rallies members outside a San Antonio AT&T Mobility authorized dealer.
CWAers walked the walk with actions outside a Verizon Wireless store and an AT&T Mobility authorized dealer. CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor criticized AT&T for cutting union workers and corporate stores while sending jobs to resellers. He said AT&T Mobility workers, who will be bargaining a new "orange" contract early next year, are going into negotiations with a clear message for AT&T: "We want good jobs in our communities and in this country. We want jobs at AT&T."
Check out more photos from the conference (and tag yourselves!) on Facebook.
N.J. COURT REJECTS CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION JOB BANDING RULE
On Dec 1, a NJ appeals court rightfully rejected Governor Christie's far-reaching changes to the state’s promotion process for certain state employees. The NJ Civil Service Commission had implemented a job-banding rule which grouped a series of job titles into one “band”. This allowed management to freely appoint and promote workers from lower to high titles in these bands and eliminated long-standing requirements for civil service tests and veterans preference. The ruling by the court comes after two-and-a-half years of hard work by CWA and restores the taxpayer protections that ensure public jobs are not based on political connections and favoritism, but merit and fitness. "For over a century, the Civil Service System has been based on the idea that people are appointed and promoted based on a system of objectively-determined merit and fitness. From his first day in office, Governor Christie has been obsessed with dismantling this fair, transparent system which protects the public from patronage and discrimination," said CWA NJ Area Director Hetty Rosenstein. "So, I am extremely heartened that the Court repudiated Christie’s sneaky scheme to dismantle civil service by ignoring the will of the people, the legislature, the law and our system of checks and balances.”
MOMENTIVE STRIKE UPDATE
Members of IUE-CWA Locals 81359 and 81380 have been on strike at Momentive Performance Materials in Waterford, NY since November 2. They are fighting against a company that is trying to destroy workers' standard of living, pensions, and health care.
Learn more about how you can help at: MomentiveWorkers.com
E-ZPASS BARGAINING KICKS OFF
The bargaining team at the table and ready to fight for a fair contract on the first day of bargaining.
Bargaining kicked off for E-ZPass workers in Staten Island, NY last week.
Workers in Staten Island won their union election in 2010, and after a year of tough bargaining, won their first contract.
Get the latest updates and how you can help at e-zpassworkersunited.org.
BERNIE SANDERS: CARRIER JUST SHOWED CORPORATIONS HOW TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP
We need a president who can stand up to big corporations, not fold to their demands, but president-elect Donald Trump is proving to be a pushover.
During the campaign Trump promised steep penalties for companies that sent work overseas, now the state of Indiana is reportedly promising Carrier tax and regulatory favors to keep 730 of the 2100 jobs in America that were previously scheduled to be transferred to Mexico.
Read Bernie Sanders' take down of Trump in the Washington Post.
HOW BUFFALO HOSPITAL WORKERS WON
Earlier this year, workers at Catholic Health in upstate New York ratified their new contracts after waging a vigorous contract battle with the Catholic Health system, winning back bonus pay and wage scales and improving staffing.
Ann Converso - a registered nurse, CWA organizer, and past president of United American Nurses - and Patrick Weisansal - a radiologic technologist for Kaleida Health and the director of mobilizing and organizing for CWA Local 1168 - describe how CWA members fought and won big improvements during their contract campaign.
U.S. AND EU AVIATION WORKERS DOUBLE-CROSSED BY DOT NAI DECISION
AFA-CWA condemns the decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation approving a foreign air carrier permit for Norwegian Air International's (NAI) flag-of-convenience airline. The decision fails to acknowledge the labor protections of the U.S.-EU Open Skies Agreement and sets a precedent that risks hundreds of thousands of U.S. aviation jobs.
Birds of a Feather Flocked Together: CWA 1180-Bird Union Members Vote UNANIMOUSLY to Ratify Their First Union Contract!
