Jun 29, 2023 - Alphabet Workers Union-CWA Wins Reinstatement for Fired Google Workers and other news

President Biden Recognizes CWA During White House Event Announcing Billions in Funding for Broadband Expansion

On Monday, President Biden announced plans for distributing more than $40 billion to states to fund the expansion of broadband internet service through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Through our Build Broadband Better campaign, CWA members have been advocating for increased access to high speed internet service. Most recently, CWA Broadband brigade members have been engaging with state and local governments to ensure their plans to utilize this funding prioritize high labor standards for broadband providers. In addition, CWA activists are educating state legislators and policy makers about the need to comply with the requirements laid out in the BEAD program, including prioritizing projects that use future-proof fiber technology.

During the event, President Biden acknowledged and recognized CWA, other unions, and community organizations for their continued advocacy to ensure the passage and enforcement of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other legislation intended to boost infrastructure around the country. Watch the clip from President Biden’s remarks.

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CWA Activists Strategize for Upcoming Elections

CWA members from across the union participated in an inaugural Activist Briefing last Tuesday where they analyzed the 2022 midterm election data and explored its implications for our future campaigns. The informative session also highlighted the remarkable recent passage of legislation in several states to expand workers’ rights. These victories serve as a testament to the significant impact our activism can have on labor rights and protections. By drawing inspiration from these wins, we can fuel our future fights with renewed determination and enthusiasm.

The virtual event marked the beginning of a recurring series that will take place every other month, showcasing our commitment to keeping our members well-informed and actively engaged.

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CWA District 3 Activists Build Political Power

Last week, CWAers from across District 3 participated in a two-day Political Boot Camp in Georgia. They gained valuable new skills to deploy in political and legislative fights to build worker power and ensure a better standard of living for all working people. Fifteen members from CWA Locals 3204, 3207, 3218, 3250, and 3265 participated in this intensive training. The participants also contributed to the political action fund to help build electoral power.

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New Jersey CWA Activists Advocate for Pro-Worker Policies

CWA activists in New Jersey participated in a lobby day last Thursday to meet with their legislators and promote CWA's legislative priorities. After attending a lobbying training, participants flooded the state legislature in Trenton and spoke with their representatives about the need to advance several pro-worker policies that would strengthen New Jersey's working families, including the expansion of collective bargaining rights for local government and college workers, relief for local government workers from crushing health care premium increases, and extension of the New Jersey Corporate Business Tax (CBT) surcharge. The activists also attended various legislative committee hearings.

After their meetings with legislators, the CWAers joined community allies in front of the Statehouse for a rally to call for the extension of the New Jersey CBT surcharge. This rally included a march from the Statehouse to the Trenton office of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, where Christian Estevez, CWA District 1 New Jersey Legislative and Political Director, spoke about the need to prioritize the funding of much-needed public services over tax breaks for big corporations and the billionaires that own them.

Alphabet (Google)

Last Friday, in a momentous victory for Alphabet Workers Union-CWA (CWA Local 9009) members, Google raters, who were fired for speaking up about their poor working conditions and the danger of faulty AI products, were informed that they will be reinstated and receive back pay. Raters, who are employed by Google subcontractor Appen, are often invisible human workers that train, test, and evaluate Google Search and Bard results.

The half dozen Google raters across Appen’s AI projects received notice that they had been terminated at the end of May after they publicly spoke out about their concerns. In response, the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA (AWU-CWA) filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on behalf of the workers. The charges alleged retaliation for organizing, a prohibition against discussing said terminations publicly, and threats that wages may decrease with the union.

Even though these subcontracted raters provide critical support to Google’s most profitable products, workers are still denied access to the company’s own purported established minimum standards for contractors, leaving thousands of workers in poverty. Previous organizing by these workers secured their first ever pay raise in January 2023. Re-energized by their latest victory, the workers are more determined than ever to continue fighting for better working conditions and standards. Read more here.

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ProPublica

Fifteen years after ProPublica published its first investigation, workers at the award-winning, nonprofit investigative newsroom announced last Wednesday that they were forming a union. Their union, ProPublica Guild, part of New York NewsGuild (TNG-CWA Local 31003), is a wall-to-wall union with overwhelming support across the business and editorial sides of the newsroom. In a mission statement distributed to all ProPublica staff and presented to management, employees said that forming a union is essential to preserving ProPublica’s values and making it a fairer, more secure workplace regardless of turbulence within the industry. They have requested swift recognition of their union from management. Their organizing effort comes as a slew of newsrooms have organized and, increasingly, won major material gains for members. Read more here.

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Montefiore Nyack

Last Thursday, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) at Montefiore Nyack Hospital in New York overwhelmingly voted to join CWA in a National Labor Relations Board election. The workers will be members of CWA Local 1103, which already represents hundreds of technical employees at the hospital.

American Airlines

American Airlines passenger service agents, members of the CWA-IBT Association, are continuing to mobilize to build power at the bargaining table as they negotiate for a fair contract. During the latest bargaining session that began last Tuesday and continued through Thursday, workers in stations across the country participated in mobilization activities to build solidarity with their bargaining committee and show the company that they are united in their fight for fair pay, affordable health care, and job security that they deserve. Members wore their CWA-IBT Association wing pins and shared their selfies and group photos on social media using the hashtag #FairPayAA. Their strong mobilization demonstrates that the workers are willing to do what is necessary to win a fair deal and protect their rights.

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La Casa De Don Pedro

Workers at two of La Casa De Don Pedro’s Early Childhood and Youth & Family Services divisions (CWA Local 1037) overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement earlier this month. Reaching this milestone has been a difficult journey as these workers have been in contract negotiations for over a year. By continuing to mobilize through rallies, pickets, and other activities to demand fair pay for the important services they provide, workers won a strong contract that includes significant improvements, including a new pay scale with increases each year of the contract. It also includes promotional rules for workers to have an opportunity to fill open positions. In addition, the contract includes improved health and safety language, a minimum of fifteen holidays per year, and rollover paid leave. Childcare workers, who are primarily women and people of color, are vastly underpaid and mistreated in the workplace. Multiple campaigns to bring awareness to the childcare workers’ crisis have been ongoing for years, but this new contract victory is proof that when childcare workers unite, they can win. Read more here.

June is Pride Month. As part of its yearly celebration of LGBTQ+ leaders who are shaping the labor movement for the future, the AFL-CIO featured Erdem Onder from CWA Local 9509 in San Diego. Odner has been a retail sales consultant at AT&T for eight years. Odner is a proud member of the San Diego chapter of Pride at Work and has been instrumental in the revitalization of the CWA Pride Caucus this past year, increasing membership and organizing and originating petitions to Congress on trans people’s rights and liberation.

A group of members from CWA Local 1168 in Amherst, N.Y., participated in the 2023 United Way Day of Caring last week by volunteering to assist members of their community with everyday chores. They took on the project of cleaning, landscaping, and sprucing up the grounds of a local group home. When the volunteers found out it was one of the residents' birthday, they called in a special cake delivery to celebrate with her. Members of CWA Local 1168 participate and volunteer for similar events throughout the year to build solidarity and power their community.