News

Lorraine Wetle, 76, retired assistant to the District 9 vice president, died April 11 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. "Lorraine was a great trade unionist who helped build CWA," said District 9 Vice President Tony Bixler. "She will be missed."

A Massachusetts local in the midst of a battle with its yellow-page employer has already submitted Employee Free Choice support postcards from 30 percent of its members and its leader is determined to get 100 percent of them to sign.

CWA locals representing members at AT&T across the union kicked off the "one year to a new contract" mobilization with leafleting and workplace actions across the districts in advance of 2009 negotiations. AT&T Mobility members also joined in, to show support for a united CWA at AT&T and to gear up for the AT&T Mobility Orange negotiations; that contract expires in February 2009.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said this week's merger announcement by Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines moves Delta's flight attendants one step closer to getting union representation and a contract like Northwest's AFA-represented flight attendants. Delta's 13,400 flight attendants filed for union representation with AFA in February and begin voting next week (April 23) in a union election that runs until May 28.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had CWA members jumping to their feet, cheering and clapping wildly Tuesday morning during speeches in which both candidates pledged support for the Employee Free Choice Act, health care reform, universal broadband and other key CWA issues.