Bargaining Update

Halifax Chronicle Herald

CWA Canada President Martin O'Hanlon announced to CWA delegates that CWA Canada Local 30130 bargainers have reached a tentative agreement covering the 50 newspaper workers who have been on strike at the Halifax Chronicle Herald for 18 months.

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CNN

The 110 news workers at Team Video Services and CNN who have been fighting for their jobs and union rights since 2003 just won a big legal victory. The federal appeals court for the D.C. circuit upheld the NLRB’s decision that CNN discriminated against TVS employees when it instituted a new hiring process and hired only non-union workers. The court also ruled that CNN is a successor employer and obligated to recognize NABET-CWA Locals 51011 and 52031 in New York and Washington, D.C., as the workers’ bargaining representative. NABET-CWA President Charlie Braico told delegates that it might take time, but "when we fight we win."

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President Shelton and Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens joined CWAers at the "Our Jobs are Not for Sale" rally at JLL.

University of Tennessee

In Pittsburgh, CWA delegates joined members of United Campus Workers Local 3865 outside the Pittsburgh headquarters of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a real estate company that Tennessee Governor Haslam secretly signed a contract with to privatize thousands of state jobs, including jobs at the University of Tennessee. CWA President Chris Shelton and Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens joined the "Our Jobs are Not for Sale" rally.

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Avaya

CWA Vice President Lisa Bolton, Telecommunications and Technologies, reported that CWA members and retirees at Avaya have some breathing room in their fight to keep the secure retirement at Avaya that they've bargained for over decades.

On July 25, Avaya announced that it had reached a deal with the Pension Benefits Guaranty Corp., a federal agency, in connection with the pension plan covering salaried (non-union-represented) workers. A bankruptcy court hearing will be held on Aug. 15 to approve this step. The plan covering CWA members is not affected by this agreement and remains in force.