Jun 15, 2023 - OSHA Finds Piedmont Guilty in Death of CWA Passenger Service Agent and other news

After a thorough investigation of the death of Piedmont passenger service agent and CWA Local 3645 member Courtney Edwards, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) found that Piedmont Airlines is guilty of a serious breach of safety.

The willingness of CWA members to come forward to speak to the OSHA inspectors and the work of union officers, including CWA Local 3645 President Donielle Prophete, were essential in providing the documentation needed for this finding.

OSHA found that the lack of effective training, clear and unambiguous communication on the ramp, and clear instructions from supervisors as to when it is safe to approach an aircraft were deficiencies that contributed to Courtney Edwards's preventable death.

Courtney was a ground agent at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama and a valued member of CWA Local 3645 who died in a tragic on-the-job accident on December 31, 2022. Courtney was a loving mother of three children and the beloved daughter of Natalie English. Her memory lives on in the hearts of her coworkers and friends.

The company faces a penalty of $15,635, the maximum allowed by law for a serious violation. Despite the small penalty, it is likely Piedmont will contest the decision, but CWA will continue to fight for Courtney Edwards, her family, and the safety of all airline workers, who should never fear for their lives on the job.

Members of CWA’s Broadband Brigade in Colorado and Georgia are spreading the word about the need for affordable broadband and good jobs in our communities with new digital advertisements. The ads, released this week, feature CWA Local 7777 AT&T DirecTV Vice President Anthony Scorzo and CWA Local 3240 BST Vice President Kashi Brown explaining the importance of using well-trained, local workers for broadband infrastructure projects and encouraging viewers to ask state officials to create broadband deployment plans that ensure federal funds go toward building lasting infrastructure and creating good jobs.

Watch the videos here.

Insider

After a two-year fight for a first contract and a 13-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike, members of Insider Union (TNG-CWA Local 31003) announced on Wednesday that they have reached a tentative agreement with management. The three-year agreement is a huge win for union workers at Insider and includes a wage floor of $65,000, immediate raises for the vast majority of union members, a  layoff moratorium through the end of the year, just cause protections, and a commitment of more than $400,000 in healthcare cost reimbursements over the course of the agreement. It also settles a ULP related to management’s unilateral changing of workers’ health care coverage.

This momentous win is a testament to the solidarity and power of the workers and their supporters who marched, texted, flyered, rallied, wrote articles, and mobilized online to keep the pressure on. “We came together and refused to settle for anything less than what we were worth, and our collective power won a contract that will resonate in newsrooms across the country. It’s never an easy decision to go on strike, but today’s victory proves it was well worth it. We’re excited to get back to work with our new wins in hand,” said Dorian Barranco, a member of the Insider Union bargaining committee. Once ratified, the Insider Union agreement will be the latest in a wave of NewsGuild contracts that are resetting industry standards.

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gannett, and Insider

Late Thursday, the White House offered support for NewsGuild-CWA members who have been on unfair labor practice strikes across the country this month. Hundreds of journalists have been on strike at different outlets, including Insider and two dozen Gannett newsrooms, while journalists, mailers, advertising salespeople, and accounts receivable workers at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette remain on strike. 

In a statement provided exclusively to the Insider Union’s strike publication Business Outsider, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre threw the administration’s support behind recent newsroom unfair labor practice strikes breaking out in local newsrooms and digital outlets. “Across the country, we’ve seen a historic wave of newsrooms demanding fair pay and benefits. This week alone, journalists at Gannett, Insider, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remain on strike,” said Jean-Pierre. “All workers deserve a voice in the workplace, and journalists are no different.”

Read more here.

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Paizo

Last Tuesday, members of United Paizo Workers (UPW)/CWA Local 7800, ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. The agreement breaks new ground in the tabletop games industry and is the first CODE-CWA games industry contract. UPW-CWA won voluntary recognition from Paizo, maker of hit tabletop games like Pathfinder and Starfinder, in October 2021. The new collective bargaining agreement includes across the board raises, preserved and expanded benefits, and enhanced protections for workers. UPW-CWA members are thrilled to now be able to point to their contract in order to demonstrate the "union difference" to inspire other workers in the tabletop games industry to organize.

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Northstar Aerospace

Last Wednesday, striking workers at Northstar Aerospace, members of IUE-CWA Local 14430, held a mass rally with family members, friends, and fellow supporters to demonstrate their dedication to achieving equitable treatment and compensation. The workers, who are part of a vital component of Apache and Chinook helicopter parts production, went on strike last Monday in response to the company’s deceptive bargaining tactics, which led to the union filing an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

"Our strike reflects our commitment to being recognized for our contributions to the company's success and bargaining in good faith," affirmed Dave Gerard, President of Local 14430 and a Northstar employee. "As a single-source provider of these crucial parts, Northstar has no alternative but to come to the negotiating table."

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Books and Rattles

After more than a year of negotiations, workers at Books and Rattles, members of CWA Local 1180, overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year contract. This hard-fought agreement includes substantial wage increases across the board for all members as well as longevity increases and new protections in working conditions for the hard-working teachers, teaching assistants, and therapists at Books and Rattles.

"Our members fought hard and stayed strong during the past few months to demand a fair contract that addressed their needs and the needs of their families. We are proud of the work they do as education professionals in New York City and appreciate that management worked with us to ensure they receive competitive salaries and benefits," said Gloria Middleton, President of CWA Local 1180.

Alliance Mobile

Workers at Alliance Mobile, an AT&T authorized retail store in Selma, Ala., voted to join CWA in a National Labor Relations Board election. The workers are the first AT&T authorized retail store to form a union and join CWA. Their victory comes as AT&T has been closing union-staffed stores and outsourcing to non-union authorized retail stores in an effort to cut union jobs and increase company profits. This group of workers add to the growing movement of wireless workers who are fighting back against corporate greed in the industry.

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Accenture (Google)

Last week, a supermajority of Google Help workers with Accenture, a Google contractor, filed a petition for a union election. The union is composed of writers and graphic designers who create internal and external Google content, including materials for Google Help support pages. Workers have listed both Google and Accenture as joint employers due to the direct role both companies play in shaping working conditions. Workers hope to achieve increased paid time off, competitive pay that appropriately reflects the highly skilled nature of their work, and assurance that team members will not be randomly assigned to projects outside the scope of their workflows. If victorious, workers are set to become the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA’s third bargaining unit. Read more here.

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Maximus

On Tuesday, Maximus workers, members of Call Center Worker United-CWA, delivered a letter, signed by thousands of community supporters, to Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, demanding he investigate Maximus' labor practices. The demands for an investigation come after the unfair layoff of hundreds of workers last month and a new report released in March by CWA, the Strategic Organizing Center, and the NAACP exposing significant racial inequities at Maximus. The workers, who traveled from Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana, delivered the letter directly to and spoke with Secretary Becerra after attending a hearing hosted by the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce. This is the latest action by the workers, who walked off the job for a one-day strike last week and have been constantly mobilizing and taking action to protest Maximus' anti-worker behavior.

Maximus workers organizing with CWA delivered a letter directly to and spoke with Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra after attending a hearing on Capitol Hill to demand that he investigate Maximus' labor practices now.

CWAers Secure Big Victory for Workers in New York

Thanks to the CWAers who have been actively mobilizing, including sending thousands of emails to and holding dozens of meetings with New York legislators, the State Assembly and Senate passed the Protecting Worker Free Speech Rights Act. The bill prevents employers from retaliating against employees who refuse to attend employer-sponsored meetings about personal political ideologies, religious beliefs, or opinions on labor unions, political parties, or civic groups. While this bill doesn’t prohibit an employer from holding a captive audience meeting, it does protect workers by ensuring that they are not punished for refusing to attend.

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CWAers in Ohio Mobilize to Defend Democracy

For months, CWA members across Ohio, along with coalition partners, have been mobilizing against the efforts of antidemocratic lawmakers to eliminate the sacred principle of “one person, one vote” in citizen-initiated constitutional amendment ballot issues. Ballot issues are one of the few ways everyday Ohioans can hold legislators accountable. Proposed legislation would undermine their ability to do so by adding further restrictions to the ballot initiative process that would make it harder for citizens to exercise their voice at the ballot box.

The activists have flooded the state legislature and spoken out in opposition to this harmful measure that would give special interests, lobbyists, and anti-worker politicians more power to pursue their agenda. Despite the activists' mobilization, the resolution passed, but the activists immediately launched the Vote No in August campaign to continue their fight to protect voting rights and democracy.

Ahead of the vote in August, CWA District 4 Vice President Linda L. Hinton sent a letter to CWAers last Friday encouraging members to take action to defend democracy in Ohio.

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CWA Local 1400 Endorses Aaron Regunberg for Congress

CWA Local 1400 members in New England announced their endorsement of Aaron Regunberg’s campaign for Rhode Island’s First Congressional District on Monday. It is the first union endorsement the campaign has received to date.

“Aaron Regunberg has always walked the walk when it comes to taking on corporate greed and supporting workers,” said Don Trementozzi, President of CWA Local 1400. “When our members at Verizon were striking, we didn’t need to wonder whether Aaron would be with us – he was there at the picket line every day. Rhode Island workers have benefited from Aaron’s leadership already, on issues from paid sick days to higher wages. In Congress, we know he’ll continue to fight for working people, which is why CWA members are excited to knock on doors, make phone calls, and help turn out the vote to elect Aaron Regunberg in September.”

“I am honored to receive this support from CWA Local 1400,” said Regunberg. “The labor movement built this country’s middle class, full stop, and unions like CWA are by far the most powerful tool working people have to win a real voice in our government. I’m excited to continue standing with the members of Local 1400 to fight for an economy that works for all of us, not just corporate CEOs and their bought-and-paid-for Republican allies.”

Members from UPTE (University of Professional and Technical Employees)/CWA Local 9119 gathered in Oakland, Calif., last weekend for their 2023 convention. Delegates, special guests, and other attendees participated in this essential gathering of union leaders and activists statewide to plan, receive training, and set the direction of the union for the coming year. This year’s convention was especially important, with many chapters launching their next contract campaigns and beginning to prepare for upcoming negotiations. During the convention, participants heard from various guest speakers, including CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens, CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce, CWA Public, Healthcare, and Education Workers Vice President Margaret Cook, and other union leaders.

UPTE-CWA represents 18,000 healthcare, research, and education workers across University of California campuses, labs, and medical centers, as well as community colleges and Department of Energy facilities.