News

Niurka Davila, 47, had finished breakfast with friends on the 70th floor of the World Trade Center Sept. 11, then took an elevator to ground level for a smoke break. That was shortly before two jetliners struck the twin towers.

It was a day of grim sites, tearful and harrowing stories and, ultimately, lifted spirits and union pride.

Recognizing the important, complicated and often stressful jobs of customer service employees, CWA locals across the country held a day of appreciation Oct. 3 to honor their dedication and professionalism.

As AT&T announced it was cutting 2,400 jobs, Ralph Maly, CWA vice president for Communications and Technologies, criticized the company for another “in a long line of bad business decisions” shaking consumer, worker and shareholder confidence.

When Tyco Electronics purchased Lucent’s manufacturing plant in Mesquite, Texas, about 1,000 members of Local 6260 were ready to make a new start with a new company. Tyco had agreed to honor Lucent’s contract, preserving wages and benefits, seniority and pensions.

That was in January.