Call Center Legislation Update

CWA's push to pass legislation to protect U.S. call center jobs has gained momentum in the recent weeks with several states moving forward on passing legislation similar to the bipartisan U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act, which would crack down on U.S. companies that offshore their call center jobs.

Michigan

At an event with CWA members from AT&T, State Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo, announced that he will introduce legislation to protect Michigan call center workers.

Per MLive:

Charles Daniels is the president of Communications Workers of America Local 4123, a labor union which represents call center workers in Kalamazoo and Michigan. He said Wednesday that elected officials need to be held accountable to keep jobs in America.

"We all know the rules and regulations do not favor the working class," Daniels said. "That's why for years now some of the biggest, richest U.S. corporations can get away with sending good jobs offshore."

Read more here.

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Alabama

The CWA Alabama Legislative Political Action Team (LPAT), Local 3907 President David Betz, Local 3907 Vice President Ken McKenzie, and Alabama state representative Phil Williams (R-Huntsville) took a tour of an AT&T call center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Rep. Williams sponsored H.B. 553 this past session of the Alabama Legislature. The bill focused on companies that receive state government incentives such as tax credits, loans and abatements and then relocate jobs out of the state. Following the visit to the Huntsville call center, Rep. Williams has decided the new version will place an emphasis on call center jobs.

The Alabama Legislative Political Action Team, Local 3907 President David Betz, Local 3907 Vice President Ken McKenzie, and Alabama Rep. Phil Williams (R-Huntsville) took a tour of an AT&T call center in Huntsville, Alabama. The LPAT team is led by state coordinator Jason James (Local 3907, Mobile), lead local coordinator Ashley Loosier, and data coordinator Mustafa Hassan (both of Local 3907, Huntsville).