Apr 11, 2019 - Still Too Big to Fail

University of California

UPTE-CWA Local 9119 Healthcare, Research, and Technical members went on a one-day solidarity strike on April 10 in response to UC's Unfair Labor Practices against AFSCME 3299 to show UC executives that their illegal intimidation and other underhanded tactics won't be tolerated against any UC workers.

Although Wednesday's strike was in response to UC's illegal intimidation tactics against AFSCME 3299 and is unrelated to UPTE-CWA negotiations, UPTE-CWA members continue to fight for a fair contract.

The University of California's so-called "Last, Best, and Final Offer" for Research and Technical members contains unnecessary and unacceptable cuts including eliminating step increases for pay, no daily overtime or protections for full-time work, putting pension benefits in jeopardy by pushing new hires to choose a risky 401(k), and more. The offer would also limit the right to file a grievance in cases of sexual harassment and sexual violence.

UPTE-CWA Healthcare, Research, and Technical members went on a one-day solidarity strike in response to UC's Unfair Labor Practices against AFSCME 3299 to show UC executives that their illegal intimidation and other underhanded tactics won't be tolerated against any UC workers.

###

Cornerstone Staffing Solutions, Inc. (RightStone)

CWA members at Cornerstone Staffing Solutions ratified an agreement with RightStone with a 100% yes vote. The agreement contains a 3% retroactive general wage increase across the board, while preserving all the benefits at the current levels and maintaining all other terms and conditions of the agreement.

Hundreds of Texas state workers, members of the Texas State Employees Union-CWA Local 6186, gathered in Austin on Wednesday for a huge lobby day to take a stand for economic and social justice for state workers and all Texans. TSEU-CWA members from across the state were there to tell state legislators that they are ready to fight to restore funding for public services, to protect state employee benefits, and to win a real across-the-board raise.

Currently, a pay raise for state employees and retirees is not included in draft budgets created by legislators. The last time state workers saw an across-the-board raise, in the 2015 legislative session, lawmakers approved a 2.5% raise that was completely wiped out by a 2.6% increase in state employees' contributions to the ERS pension fund. On top of that, employees saw big cost increases in dependent health care coverage, meaning state employees actually saw their take home pay decrease. With turnover rates at state agencies higher than they've been since 1990, TSEU-CWA members are calling for legislators to give all state agency and university workers a long-overdue $6,000 raise.

Read more about the lobby day here.

Hundreds of Texas state workers, members of the Texas State Employees Union-CWA Local 6186, gathered in Austin for a huge lobby day to take a stand for economic and social justice for state workers and all Texans.

More than 750 CWA Shop Stewards from locals across New Jersey gathered in Atlantic City at the end of March for the largest two-day state conference ever held for CWA Stewards in New Jersey. The theme for the conference was The Path to CWA STRONG.

Stewards participated in workshops and breakout sessions on how to hold in-district lobby meetings with their state legislators and developed worksite action plans to engage their coworkers on the fights ahead. New Jersey stewards are gearing up to pass a fair state budget that includes a millionaire's tax, and to defeat proposals by State Senate President Steve Sweeney that attack public worker pensions and shift billions in health care costs onto public workers.

More than 750 CWA Shop Stewards from locals across New Jersey gathered in Atlantic City for the largest two-day state conference ever held for CWA Stewards in New Jersey.

Across CWA District 3, CWA members are gaining valuable new skills to deploy in political and legislative fights to build worker power! CWA members participated in political boot camp trainings in Orlando, Fla., (top photo) and Charlotte, N.C. (bottom photo). The attendees hit the ground running in each state on issues like the pro-democracy For the People Act (H.R.1) and holding AT&T accountable for its broken jobs promises on the tax bill. The participants set up six-week activist plans to take the skills they learned back to their respective locals and put them to use.

This week, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) introduced the Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2019, This legislation, supported by CWA, would reinstate and expand the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, a bill that restricted affiliations between commercial and investment banks in the fallout of the Great Depression. Kaptur's bill is designed to address the predatory economic power of Wall Street banks and billionaires and to make the financial system work for working people – not just the wealthy and the well-connected.

"The same Wall Street banks that crashed our economy in 2008 and put millions out of work remain too-big-to-fail to this day," said CWA's Director of Legislation, Politics, and International Affairs Shane Larson. "We need to ensure that our members' and our retirees' livelihoods aren't jeopardized again by the reckless behavior of a Wall Street megabank. This bill is a smart solution that would reinstate the barrier between commercial and investment banking and make our financial system safer."