Mar 9, 2017 - Breaking! New Contract at ABC-TV Network

The NABET-CWA bargaining team reached a tentative four-year agreement covering nearly 3,000 workers at ABC Network/Disney. 

The proposed settlement covers staff and daily hires at ABC Network operations, ABC Sports operations and the four network owned television stations in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

NABET-CWA President Charlie Braico said the tentative agreement "recognizes our members' value and their contributions to making ABC a leader in the industry, from sports broadcasting and news operations to entertainment. The bargaining goals that we worked hard to achieve came directly from our members, and we were determined to reach a new agreement that met those goals. For the first time in the past several decades, we were able to reach an overall tentative contract prior to the expiration of the current agreement."

The proposed settlement provides for a 9 percent across-the-board wage increase over the contract term; improvements for daily hire employees including a paid sick leave provision and enhancements to health and retirement benefit plans; improvements for staff that include an increased pension accrual rate and other gains, and anticipated future job opportunities in "new media" for all employees.

NABET-CWA locals will hold membership meetings and provide more details on the proposed agreement. A mail ratification vote will be held. NABET-CWA members at ABC work as broadcast technicians, telecommunications specialists, news writers, producers, desk assistants, publicists, and plant maintenance personnel.

CWA Local 7076 knew things had to change. The local was facing the same challenges hitting CWA locals and unions throughout the labor movement: how to fight back against anti-worker employers and lawmakers, how to continue to bargain good contracts in challenging times, and how to make sure workers' voices are heard.

A little more than a year ago, in January 2016, CWA Local 7076 began an internal organizing program that made communication with members and non-members a top priority. Since then, more than 700 new members have joined the local. There are 29 more stewards and more than double the number of activists.  

CWA Local 7076 represents public employees who work for the University of New Mexico (UNM), University of New Mexico Hospitals (UNMH), Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), and the Timberon Water and Sanitation Department.

"Our members know we face big challenges, and that's why our local is working hard to grow stronger," said CWA Local 7076 President Donald Alire. "We are talking one-on-one with every employee in our workplaces, and making sure everyone knows how important it is to be united."

In addition to increasing its internal membership numbers, CWA Local 7076 has engaged members in every aspect of the local's work. The local says it's not ever seen so many new activists come forward in such a short period of time. And turnout for the local's 2017 Lobby Day, held at the New Mexico State Capitol to discuss CWA members' issues with state legislators, was nearly triple that of previous years.

"Hundreds of new members have joined our local in the last year. We have 29 new stewards who are being trained, a big increase. Our growing stewards and activists network will make sure our members stay engaged and mobilized," said Alire.

Internal organizing is now an ongoing part of the local's work to keep the union strong.

CWAers from Local 7076 gathered for 2017 Lobby Day, held at the New Mexico State Capitol to discuss CWA members' issues with state legislators.

AT&T Mobility

Nearly one month after their national contract was set to expire, thousands of AT&T Mobility workers are refusing to back down in their demands that the company agree to a fair contract. Today, workers and customers rallied outside retail stores and call centers across the country, urging AT&T to stop off-shoring and outsourcing their jobs.

Kim Anderson, vice president of CWA Local 7803, organized a demonstration outside her Seattle retail store to highlight how AT&T is squeezing its employees. In her seven years at the company, Anderson has witnessed AT&T downsize locations and move work to low-wage, low-quality third party dealers. "Everyone is nervous about losing their jobs. There's a lot of worry out there and that's why we're fighting for a fair contract," she said.

While AT&T brings in more than $1 billion a month, it has shifted more than 60 percent of retail jobs to third party dealers, while cutting more than 12,000 call center jobs and sending thousands more to Mexico, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and other countries.

The company faces growing opposition for its misguided priorities as more than 50,000 customers, workers and community members signed a petition calling on AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson to support good jobs.

In Bartonsville, PA, members of Local 13000 held an informational picket line outside an AT&T store.

Members of CWA Local 1101 had a special message for Mobility managers who were attending a meeting in Manhattan.

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AT&T West

Left: CWAers, members of Local 9510, and supporters rallied outside an AT&T office in San Diego.
Right: In San Francisco, members of Local 9410 and allies told AT&T: We want a fair contract!

Uber

Members of the Philadelphia Limousine Association – drivers for UberBlack – announced that they will join the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia, CWA Local 38010.

"CWA will be dedicated to fighting for our labor rights and helping all drivers improve our earnings. We need to stay united and keep going, because that’s the only key to success," the drivers said in a statement.

Read more here.

Members of the Philadelphia Limousine Association – drivers for UberBlack – joined the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia, CWA Local 38010.

CWAers in Washington, DC joined a day of action on International Women’s Day, calling for pay equity, fair wages, paid leave, and labor rights at work. CWA Secretary Treasurer Sara Steffens (below) spoke at a rally at the Supreme Court.

"Throughout this year, millions of women have locked arms and marched together bringing resistance and persistence to the abuse of power," said Claude Cummings, Jr., CWA Human Rights Director and Vice President, District 6, in a statement.

Read the full statement here.

CWA President Chris Shelton said this about the House leadership's proposed health care plan:

We're still learning about the health care plan proposed by House Republicans.

We can all agree that the American healthcare system must be improved. It's clear, however, that this legislation provides a big tax giveaway to corporations and the 1 percent, while working families, seniors, and children are stuck picking up the tab.

Workers age 50 and older would take a big hit, because insurance companies would be permitted to charge them five times as much as younger workers. This proposal would strip away coverage from millions of working families who need it most, and hand millions of dollars in tax breaks and handouts to insurance companies, other corporations and the wealthy. 

Tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy are estimated at $525 billion over 10 years. This isn’t a health care plan, it's a shameful handout to corporations paid for by working families who will pay more for less coverage, and by those Americans who will be left with no health care coverage at all.

Read the full statement here.

IUE-CWA joined Globe Specialty Metals, Inc., and the Steelworkers Union in filing an anti-dumping petition with the U.S. Commerce Secretary and the International Trade Commission to stop silicon metal imports from Australia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Norway. The complaint cited deliberate practices by producers from these four countries to sell silicon metal at artificially low prices in the U.S., resulting in the loss of good U.S. manufacturing jobs and harming U.S.-based companies.

More than 100 IUE-CWA members in Selma, Ala., lost their jobs in February 2016 when Globe closed the silicon metal plant.

"Unfortunately we have witnessed thousands of good manufacturing jobs leave our communities because of trade practices benefitting corporations in other countries at the expense of U.S. workers," wrote IUE-CWA President Jim Clark.

"When faced with these unfair trade practices from abroad, we have to fight back. IUE-CWA fully supports the anti-dumping case filed by Globe. We hope that this case will be reviewed quickly, and that justice will be served," he said.

CWA activists from 15 different locals gathered for an internal organizing training in Albuquerque, New Mexico.