Aug 10, 2023 - Planning Your Next Getaway? Take Advantage of Hotel Discounts for CWA Members and other news

Frontier Communications (West Virginia and Ashburn, Va.)

CWA members at Frontier Communications in West Virginia and Ashburn, Va., agreed to continue negotiations with the company and extend the current contract by two weeks to August 19th.

The union’s bargaining team walked into negotiations with management hours before their contract was set to expire, empowered by a strong show of solidarity from workers and supporters across West Virginia and Ashburn. Following their recent overwhelming strike authorization vote, the workers have continued to engage in mobilization actions across their states.

The members want to be on the job, delivering quality service for their customers and providing for their families. This contract extension will give Frontier executives the opportunity to do the right thing and move towards a fair contract so that hard working members can stay focused on providing quality service to customers and building fiber connections to homes and businesses across West Virginia.

CWA members hold an informational picket in Poca, W.Va.

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Last week at a press conference, Pennsylvania State Representative and Chair of the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation, Dan Miller, spoke out in strong support of striking NewsGuild-CWA journalists and other CWA members at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Referencing the fact that the Post-Gazette was covering the press conference, Miller said, “[T]his event is being covered by a scab newspaper. We see it, we know it, and so let me give you a quote. Treat your workers fairly, bargain fairly. Don’t come to us for quotes until you do.” In a Twitter post following the press conference, Miller conveyed the support of the whole delegation for the striking workers and vowed that they won’t cross the picket line. The workers, who are responsible for designing, printing, distributing, advertising sales, accounts receivable, and content creation for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, have been on strike since October of last year. They have not had a pay raise in over 15 years and went on strike over the illegal, unilateral cuts to their healthcare made by the Block family – the Toledo-based, millionaire owners of the paper. To make a donation in support of the striking workers, click here.

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TVO Today (Canada)

Last week, members of the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) at TVO overwhelmingly rejected the company’s latest contract offer and indicated they are ready to strike if necessary. CMG is part of CWA|SCA Canada. TVO is a not-for-profit media agency of the Ontario Ministry of Education and Canada’s oldest educational television service.

With over 95 percent of the workers voting against the offer, they sent a clear message to the company and the Ford government that they deserve wage increases that reflect the current economic state, will not waive the rights of education members to a permanent job, and will not compromise the integrity and value of journalism they offer as public servants. The workers are still hoping to negotiate an agreement and avoid a strike. Read more here.

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Delaware State Police (911 and Civilian Workers)

Last month, 911 operators and other civilian workers at the Delaware State Police, members of CWA Local 13101, ratified their new three-year collective bargaining agreement. The contract provides for additional time off, vastly improved scheduling for 911 operators, and historic wage increases across the board for all members.

AT&T IHX workers Tim Johnson (left) and Greg Perkins (right) celebrate their union victory in Hoover, Ala.

AT&T In Home Experts

AT&T In Home Experts (IHX) across Alabama have formed a union with CWA. IHX workers from hubs in Huntsville, Birmingham, and Mobile have joined together to make In Home Expert a union position in Alabama. The new CWA members join IHX workers across the country in a movement to organize the profession and bring respect and dignity to the job. The 74 workers join a wave of organizing across the South as more workers choose union representation for respect and better working conditions on the job.

AT&T has agreed to respect the right of IHX workers in Alabama and across the country to make their own choice about whether or not to join a union. The company voluntarily recognized the union after a majority of eligible employees signed union authorization cards. Read more here.

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Grindr

Last Friday, CWA, on behalf of the workers of Grindr United-CWA, filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Grindr, the company behind the largest LGBTQIA+ dating app. The ULP was filed in response to Grindr management’s decision to announce a retaliatory Return-To-Office (RTO) policy that would impact U.S.-based workers who recently announced the formation of their union. This decision threatens the livelihoods of dozens of workers who do not live near their assigned team’s office. Additionally, the RTO announcement undermines the ongoing efforts of workers to form a union.

Grindr management has a legal obligation, under the National Labor Relations Act, to not significantly change the working conditions of Grindr United-CWA workers until after workers win their union election and are able to directly negotiate their labor conditions at the bargaining table. Instead of recognizing the workers’ union and addressing their concerns, Grindr has hired notorious union-buster Littler Mendelson, a firm behind many ongoing illegal anti-worker campaigns at Starbucks, Apple, and more. The workers are mobilizing to fight back against these retaliatory acts and are committed to forming a union at Grindr.

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ProPublica

Last Thursday, the employees of ProPublica won voluntary recognition of their union, the ProPublica Guild, part of the NewsGuild of New York (TNG-CWA Local 31003). The workers announced the formation of their union in June. The union, which secured support from 97% of eligible staff members, is wall-to-wall, covering editorial, business, and operations departments at the largest nonprofit newsroom in the country. Their victory comes as a slew of newsrooms have organized and, increasingly, won major material gains for members. Read more here.

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Accenture (Google)

Last Thursday, the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Google and Accenture for their retaliatory layoffs against Google Help workers, who had announced their desire to form a union in early June. When the Google Help workers employed by Accenture, a Google contractor, filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), over 70% of the eligible 119 workers had signed union authorization cards in favor of joining CWA. Google and Accenture announced layoffs impacting over 80 Google Help workers subcontracted through Accenture on July 6, 2023. Google claimed that the decision to lay off workers was made well in advance of the announced union effort, but was unable to present documented evidence to support this point.

Workers have listed both Google and Accenture as joint employers due to the direct role both companies play in shaping working conditions and completed their hearing with the NLRB regarding the issue of joint employers last week. The union is composed of writers and graphic designers who create internal and external Google content, including materials for Google Help support pages. Workers will continue to organize and hope to hold their union election as soon as possible to ensure they can bring both Google and Accenture to the bargaining table. Read more here.

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Rove Pest Control

Last week, customer service workers at the call center for Rove Pest Control announced the formation of their union after a majority of the workers signed union authorization cards in favor of joining CWA Local 7250. The workers held a rally and delivered a letter demanding the company voluntarily recognize the union. They have also filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board and are ready to go to an election if necessary. At the rally, the workers were joined by a delegation of members from the CWA Local 7250 Organizing Committee, other union members, local AFL-CIO representatives, and community allies. The customer service workers at Rove Pest Control serve customers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Arizona. They deserve dignity, respect, a living wage, real health care benefits, clear job duties, paid vacation, bereavement, and sick time. They are committed to keep fighting for what they deserve.

Last week, customer service workers at the call center for Rove Pest Control held a rally to announce the formation of their union and deliver a letter demanding voluntary recognition from the company.

CWA Activists Defeat Anti-Worker Ballot Measure, Preserve Democracy

Thanks to the mobilization of CWA activists in Ohio and across District 4, other union activists, and coalition partners, voters in Ohio rejected Issue 1, a ballot measure that would have made it harder to pass future amendments to the Ohio Constitution. The measure, which proposed raising the threshold to make changes to the state constitution from a simple majority of the vote to 60 percent of the vote, would have effectively eliminated the principle of “one person, one vote” in citizen-initiated constitutional amendment ballot issues. This is a huge victory for workers and communities in Ohio as ballot issues are one of the few ways everyday Ohioans can hold legislators accountable.

The activists engaged in a mass mobilization to defeat the measure and send a message to the antidemocratic lawmakers who pushed for it by educating and engaging the community, participating in GOTV efforts, flooding the state legislature, and speaking out in opposition to this harmful measure that would give special interests, lobbyists, and anti-worker politicians more power to pursue their agenda.

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CWAers Promote Social Justice

Last week, CWA activists who gathered in Minneapolis, Minn., to participate in a Runaway Inequality training took part in a pilgrimage to George Floyd Plaza. They were joined by Marcia Howard, Vice President of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, who shared insights about the history of the neighborhood surrounding George Floyd Plaza and emphasized the importance of organizing for social justice.

CWA members from across the country, including workers organizing at federal contractor Maximus, represented our union at the 114th NAACP National Convention last month in Boston, Mass. CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., who is a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors, also participated in the convention and highlighted CWA’s leading role supporting Black workers organizing in the South.

The CWAers took part in several workshops and plenary sessions including a labor luncheon and symposium. They also had the opportunity to hear and learn from social justice leaders and experts in various fields, as well as forge relationships with NAACP members from their communities.

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