Dec 14, 2023 - CWA Leaders Arrested Alongside Federal Call Center Workers and other news

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. and Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam were arrested alongside federal call center workers on Tuesday as they demanded that the Biden Administration back up its commitment to good jobs with concrete action.

The workers, who handle Medicare and Affordable Care Act calls for Maximus, the federal government’s largest call center contractor, traveled from across the country to distribute leaflets outside of the White House and to rally and protest at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Representatives Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), and Greg Casar (D-Tex.) and SEIU President Mary Kay Henry joined workers in calling on HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Biden Administration to require livable wages of $25 per hour on federal call center contracts, ensure workers have access to affordable health care, and to investigate Maximus’s low-road employment practices.

“What do these call center workers want?” President Cummings asked the crowd. “Affordable health care. Think about it. These workers have to get a second job just to pay for their own healthcare while helping other Americans who are calling in about Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.”

“It’s unacceptable that we work for a federal contractor making billions of dollars from government contracts, but we don’t even get a living wage and affordable health care,” said Katherine Charles, a Maximus call center representative from Riverview, Fla.

You can watch speeches from the rally here and support the workers by sending a letter calling on the Biden Administration to investigate Maximus at cwa-union.org/maximus.

Maximus federal call center workers rallied with supporters outside of the Department of Health and Human Services. (Photo Credit: Getty Images for Communications Workers of America)

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Maximus workers raised awareness and distributed leaflets outside of the White House. (Photo Credit: Getty Images for Communications Workers of America)

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CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. and Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam were arrested during the protest.

Over the past week, members of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA have reached an agreement with Microsoft to incorporate a group of contract workers into their union as well as a tentative agreement on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. The ZeniMax workers are in the midst of bargaining their first contract.

The use of contractors is common in the video game industry, and they often earn lower wages, have fewer benefits, and face less job stability than the direct employees they work alongside. As a result of their organizing campaign, temporary contract workers at ZeniMax Media, a video game studio owned by Microsoft, were able to establish greater job security and pay increases. Twenty-three of the 77 workers will be hired into full-time permanent jobs and the remaining 54 workers will be hired as temporary employees once negotiations conclude and the collective bargaining agreement is ratified. Other improvements for the workers include paid holidays and paid sick leave, which had previously only been available for workers in locations which mandate paid time off for illness.

“We hope to set a new precedent for workers across Microsoft and the entire video game industry so that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are able to improve their working conditions through collective bargaining,” said Chris Lusco, a member of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA.

The historic tentative agreement on AI commits ZeniMax to uses of AI that augment human ingenuity and capacities, to ensure that these tools enhance worker productivity, growth, and satisfaction without causing workers harm. ZeniMax has agreed to provide notice to the union in cases where AI implementation may impact the work of union members and to bargain those impacts upon request.

“Coming to this agreement was a high priority for us. It’s hard to say how developments with AI may impact our work, but now we can be more confident that the agreement will help to protect us as we navigate the potential adoption of AI into our workflow. It is crucial that all workers have a voice in what role AI plays in their work and can hold their employers accountable for the impacts of its use. This agreement empowers us to shape the ways we may choose to use AI in our work and also gives us the means to address those impacts before their potential implementation,” said ZeniMax Workers United-CWA member Dylan Burton, Senior QA Tester.

On Monday, members of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA joined CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. at an event hosted by the AFL-CIO and Microsoft to announce the formation of a new partnership to create an open dialogue to discuss how AI must anticipate the needs of workers and include their voices in its development and implementation. The partnership also includes a neutrality framework for worker organizing at Microsoft.

“The neutrality framework announced by the AFL-CIO today builds on our landmark labor neutrality agreement with Microsoft, providing a roadmap for additional workgroups not already covered by our neutrality agreement,” said President Cummings. “With the recent agreement on the use of AI at ZeniMax, we will have a legally binding collective bargaining agreement at Microsoft that incorporates exactly the principles we have been talking about here today.”

“Our efforts are helping pave the way for a relationship between Microsoft and the labor movement that won’t just benefit workers at Microsoft or just video game and tech workers, but all workers who will be impacted by emerging technology like AI,” said ZeniMax Workers United-CWA member Wayne Dayberry at the event.

ZeniMax Workers United-CWA Members joined CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. at the AFL-CIO’s announcement of a new partnership with Microsoft.

New York is facing a healthcare workforce crisis. Frontline healthcare workers are being forced to care for too many patients at one time, at the expense of patient safety. Since the state’s safe staffing requirements went into effect at the beginning of this year, CWA healthcare workers have reported thousands of violations of hospitals’ clinical staffing plans to the New York Department of Health (DOH).

Violations reported to the DOH include:

• Nurses working under 1:3 nurse-to-patient ratios in the ICU departments, when the ratio required by the law and necessary for adequate care is 1:2 for critical and intensive care patients.
• Entire patient care units being left without any Care Attendants, leaving patients without being changed, cleaned, or provided their medication.
• Management consistently mandated staff to work beyond their scheduled hours.

“CWA District 1 strongly supported the passage of the 2021 Clinical Staffing Committee law and has since worked day and night to ensure we’re implementing this law to the fullest extent because safe staffing is critical to ensuring quality patient care. However, despite the best efforts of our committee members to address violations of the law, when hospitals fail to staff according to agreed-upon plans and put patients’ lives on the line, we have no choice but to get the State involved,” said CWA Local 1168 President Cori Gambini, based in Buffalo, N.Y. In addition to calling for the proper and robust implementation and enforcement of the 2021 Clinical Staffing Committee law, CWA District 1 is urging New York State to fully fund healthcare facilities in the FY25 State Budget and include proposals aimed at stabilizing the existing healthcare workforce.

Two generations of IUE-CWA members testified before Congress last week about the power of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) investment in clean jobs to onshore wind energy manufacturing and create the kind of good jobs that a parent can be proud to keep in the family.

Eric Romero Sr. and his son, Eric Romero Jr., members of IUE-CWA Local 81301, traveled from Schenectady, N.Y., to Washington, D.C., to testify before the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition in a roundtable discussion to highlight IRA investments in clean jobs across the country.

Eric Romero Sr. has worked at General Electric (GE) for over a decade. His family has seen employment at GE dwindle from almost 30,000 hourly union workers in the 1970s to barely 700 after decades of bad trade deals and massive offshoring and outsourcing.

With investment through the IRA, GE Vernova is in the process of bringing 200 onshore wind turbine component assembly jobs to the facility in Schenectady. Eric Romero Jr. secured one of those good union jobs to continue his family’s legacy of powering America.

“GE workers in Schenectady have kept the lights on in this country and around the world for over a century. Unfortunately, due to decades of bad trade policy and massive offshoring, we’ve seen thousands of good union jobs leave our facility and devastate our community,” Eric Romero Sr. told the congressional committee. “After years of layoffs and fighting alongside my union to get wind work and investment in our shop, it's amazing to welcome my son and other kids from the community as the next generation of GE union workers. It gives me hope.”

Eric Romero Sr. (left) and his son, Eric Romero Jr. (right), met with IUE-CWA Vice President Carl Kennebrew at CWA headquarters prior to testifying before Congress.

Law360

Members of the NewsGuild of New York (TNG-CWA Local 31003) who work at Law360 walked off the job yesterday to show parent company LexisNexis they will not tolerate threats at the negotiating table. The work stoppage comes after The NewsGuild of New York filed an unfair labor practice charge on behalf of the workers on Tuesday. During a bargaining session in November, LexisNexis representatives threatened Guild members with less favorable terms the longer negotiations continue. Regressive bargaining is a form of bad faith bargaining in which one side moves backwards, offering less on a proposal than they had previously offered.

Contract negotiations have been underway since November of 2022, and workers have been without a contract since December of the same year. After more than a year of talks, management has refused to respond (either at all or meaningfully) to proposals including sick time, parental leave, paid time off, and retirement.

“Law360 Union members work hard to make the company a success, and LexisNexis needs to recognize their contributions with good faith proposals that meaningfully address our concerns,” said Susan DeCarava, President of The NewsGuild of New York. “Anything less is unacceptable and will lead to further labor strife.”

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Tender Claws

Workers for video game developer Tender Claws, members of CWA Local 9003, reached a tentative agreement with the company after a ten-month negotiation. The negotiators utilized an “open bargaining model” where all workers of the bargaining unit were able to attend meetings and draft contract language. This led to higher-than-usual engagement in the process.

Amongst other wins, this contract will result in a formal structure for career progression, inclusive language for LGBTQIA+ workers, and new benefits including dental and life insurance, a 401k plan, and an education stipend for all union members. Another one-of-a-kind win: virtual reality breaks for employees.

In a joint statement, both Tender Claws management and union staff lauded the collaborative nature of the negotiation process. “We are so incredibly proud to have reached the end of this process,” said CWA Local 9003 member Robin LoBuglio, a game developer at Tender Claws. “Tender Claws workers have always taken care of each other. I am deeply grateful for my many amazing colleagues who worked hard to make this historic contract happen.”

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Rove Pest Control

Last week, call center workers in Minnesota entered into negotiations with Rove Pest Control, a first for the private pest control industry. Rove is a fast-growing company but workers have cited a lack of dignity, a sometimes chaotic work environment, and stagnant wages as reasons for high turnover and worker dissatisfaction.

CWA Local 7250 President Kieran Frazier Knutson summarized the negotiation strategy saying, “We will be making direct, realistic proposals aimed at raising the standard of living of our members, ensuring their health and well-being – and that of their families, protecting their dignity and rights on the job. Those that do the work, that make the company run, must share in its success.”

CWA Local 7250 Negotiations Team (left to right): Bruce Nielsen, Shari Wojtowicz, Greg Bute, Hector Capote, and Kasie Garcia. Rob Greer, COO of Rove Pest Control sits opposite, in blue.

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Open Society Foundations

Members of CWA Local 1180 who work at the nonprofit Open Society Foundations have reached a tentative agreement to secure the rights of workers as the organization goes through a reorganization.

The tentative agreement will extend the current contract for one year, with important new protections, raises and bonuses for the dedicated staff whose work supports community groups advancing justice, education, public health, and independent media around the world. Members will receive a 4% increase, a $2,773 bonus, and a $2,000 ratification bonus. In a model for humane layoff practices in a challenging economy, the workers also won a guaranteed 4.5 months and up to 18 months of severance pay, including a $10,000 payment in recognition of service for members who have given 12 years or more to the organization.

The bargaining committee celebrates after reaching a tentative agreement with Open Society Foundations.

This year, CWA Local 3607’s Women’s and Equity Committee members, located in Greensboro, N.C., have given back to their community through the creation of their “Let’s help a neighbor” campaign. These CWAers participated in collecting personal hygiene kits and monetary donations for the YWCA Emergency Family Shelter in Greensboro. Through this generous effort, Local 3607 managed to provide over 250 families in their area with personal hygiene kits.

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