Feb 8, 2024 - CWAers Walk Off the Job at the University of California and Tribune Publishing

 
President Claude Cummings Jr. addressed passenger service agents at the first-ever CWA passenger service conference.

Last week, CWA passenger service agents gathered at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nev., for the first-ever passenger service airline conference. From January 29 to February 1, CWA passenger service agents across American Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, and Envoy Airlines convened with the goal of engaging minds and empowering success.

Following an introduction by District 3 Vice President and Chair of CWA’s Passenger Service Airline Council Richard Honeycutt, President Claude Cummings Jr. presented the keynote address, highlighting the recently ratified contract at American Airlines and ongoing negotiations at Piedmont Airlines. Providing more resources and opportunities for passenger service agents was a key campaign promise for President Cummings, and members voiced their appreciation for keeping his word.

Throughout the conference, attendees had the opportunity to participate in team-building exercises and workshops on bargaining, mobilization, safety, grievances, and legislation. The conference success was a joint effort, with support from Marge Krueger, Director of Airline Passenger Service; Anetra Session, Deputy Director of Airline Passenger Service; Richard Honeycutt, District 3 Vice President; Jar’la Evans, District 3 Staff Representative, and many other support staff members.

“Education, mobilization, and empowerment is a must in every organization,” said Sylvia J. Ramos, CWA Chief of Staff. “The conference provided an opportunity for our passenger service members to interact and encourage dialogue across airlines, and we are already looking forward to our next gathering.”

CWA District 6 Begins Contract Negotiations with AT&T Mobility

Negotiations opened this week for the AT&T Southwest Mobility contract, covering approximately 8,000 CWA members spanning Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The current contract, commonly referred to as “Purple Mobility,” is set to expire on February 24.

CWA members fill nearly every role in the company including Retail Sales Consultants, Call Center Representatives, Outside Technicians, and Work From Home employees.

Members are mobilizing across the district to support the bargaining team as they press for a strong contract that will improve wages, benefits, and working conditions. Another priority is securing a neutrality and card check agreement that covers workers at AT&T Mobility Authorized Retail stores. AT&T has continued to shift jobs from union-staffed corporate-owned stores to non-union authorized retailers, where workers receive lower base pay and less access to retirement benefits and paid sick leave.

Fourth quarter earnings for the company showed $32 billion in revenues with $22.4 billion driven by wireless and fiber connectivity. In his opening statement, CWA District 6 Area Director and Bargaining Chair Jason Vellmer stated, “AT&T Mobility is a critical part of the company’s success, and well-trained, experienced, union-represented employees have played an instrumental role in AT&T Mobility’s continued recognition as the nation’s fastest and best network.”

Follow AT&T Southwest Mobility bargaining news at CWAD6.org, on the CWA D6 Unity at Mobility Facebook Page, or by texting “Purple” to 49484.

 
Members of the AT&T Mobility Southwest bargaining team show their solidarity as contract negotiations opened in Austin, Tex. Pictured (left to right): Premier Service Consultant from CWA Local 6222 Frank Gonzalez; CWA District 6 Staff Representative and Bargaining Co-Chair Cheryl Dawson; CWA District 6 Area Director and Bargaining Chair Jason Vellmer; Fraud Analyst from CWA Local 6215 Kendra Williams; CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase; Retail Sales Consultant from CWA Local 6300 Michelle Doty; and Customer Support Specialist from CWA Local 6016 Mike Gemelli.

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CWA Optometrists Stage Two-Day Walkout in Response to Unfair Labor Practices

Approximately 100 UPTE-CWA Local 9119 optometrists who work at the University of California (UC) walked off the job this week in response to unfair labor practices by the university, which is refusing to fulfill its legal obligations at the bargaining table. The two-day strike took place February 6-7 with picket lines at the Davis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego UC health centers.

Despite their efforts to secure an agreement that will invest in the care they provide, optometrists report increasing patient loads, short-staffing, and below-market pay. This leads to recruitment and retention issues, which result in delayed care for patients. UC’s refusal to fulfill its legal obligations at the bargaining table has a significant effect on optometrist morale, recruitment, and retention. That translates to longer wait times and overburdened schedules, as well as an adverse impact on the quality of patient care.

UPTE-CWA Local 9119 member Roxana Khorrami said, “Despite our sincere efforts to negotiate, UC has hindered progress by bargaining in bad faith with unwarranted and unnecessary delays. We must continue our fight for a fair contract and to protect the optometry profession.”

 
UPTE-CWA members hold signs during two-day walkout calling for University of California to bargain in good faith.

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Tribune Publishing Workers Go on 24-Hour Strike

Over 200 members of the NewsGuild-CWA, working for Tribune Publishing, staged a one-day walkout last week to protest the company’s refusal to pay journalists, designers and editors a fair wage and management’s threat to take away the 401(k) match benefit. Workers from the Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Virginian-Pilot, Morning Call, Suburban Chicago Tribune, Design and Production Studios, and Tribune Content Agency participated in the walkout—the single largest coordinated action journalists at the company have taken against Alden Global Capital since the hedge fund purchased Tribune Publishing in 2021.

Alden has been slammed for decimating the newsrooms it has acquired and strip-mining its media assets for profits. Papers owned by Alden have cut staff at twice the rate of their competitors, and circulation has fallen faster at their papers than at their peers. With its purchase, Tribune Publishing was saddled with $278 million in debt.

 
Above: NewsGuild-CWA workers at the Chicago Tribune on the picket line during a one-day walkout for better pay. 

Below: NewsGuild-CWA workers at the Orlando Sentinel rallied for better pay from employer Tribune Publishing. 

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IUE-CWA Local 83799 Ready to Strike Over Hitachi Energy OSHA Violations

Members of IUE-CWA Local 83799 in Crystal Springs, Miss., are ready to strike, citing Hitachi Energy’s bad faith bargaining, delays, and refusal to engage with a federally appointed mediator. In January, during a freeze emergency in which the City of Crystal Springs requested residents and businesses conserve water, Hitachi Energy directed employees to use cleaning stations without hot water, in violation of OSHA regulations.

The IUE-CWA bargaining team has attempted to negotiate for, amongst other things, paid time off options for new hires, recognition of Juneteenth as a paid holiday, pay increases, and clear vacation language added to the attendance policy.

Workers are ready to strike to show Hitachi Energy that these tactics will not be tolerated.

 
Members of IUE-CWA Local 83799 display signs to show their readiness to go on strike.

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Flight Attendants at American Eagle Carrier Air Wisconsin Vote to Authorize a Strike

AFA-CWA Flight Attendants at American Eagle carrier Air Wisconsin overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike last week, with 99% in support of authorizing the strike. Air Wisconsin Flight Attendants have been engaged in contract negotiations for a year-and-a-half. Negotiations stalled after management put forward offers with inadequate pay increases and refused to increase minimum guaranteed hours while demanding a complete scheduling system overhaul.

“The aviation industry’s two-tier employment system means regional Flight Attendants take home significantly less for the same job,” said AFA-CWA International President Sara Nelson. “Management’s current proposals would exacerbate the problem. Air Wisconsin Flight Attendants want a fair deal, and if it takes a strike to get one, we’ve got their backs across the industry.”

Air Wisconsin Flight Attendants and allies will take the contract fight public on February 13, picketing in Chicago in solidarity with Flight Attendants across the industry fighting for new contracts at American, Alaska, United, and more.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. joined former U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and a large crowd of CWA members and retirees for a virtual phonebank earlier this week. Suozzi is running in a special election to fill the seat recently vacated by expelled Representative George Santos (R-N.Y.). CWA activists made over 1,500 calls to CWA members in Suozzi’s district and identified over 300 voters ready to cast a ballot for Suozzi. Volunteers discussed Suozzi’s 96% pro-union voting record and his history of bipartisan collaboration and accomplishments.

This special election is of critical importance as New York will be a battleground state in the fight to elect a pro-worker Congress this year. If elected, Suozzi will continue to defend workers against the ongoing anti-labor assaults from the Republican majority. Suozzi’s district has one of the highest densities of union membership in the country.

Want to join other CWA members and retirees doing critical 2024 election work? Sign up here.

 
CWAers in District 1 mobilized support for Tom Suozzi in a special election.

In January, IUE-CWA hosted a Reversing Runaway Inequality (RRI) training for 70 newly elected union officers in Dayton, Ohio. This in-depth and interactive workshop helps spotlight the real issues workers face today and prompts participants to answer some tough questions about our economy and how we got here.

IUE-CWA Local 84758 President Ed Harm said, "I've served with IUE-CWA on and off since 1985. This is the first time I've attended RRI training, and I found it extremely enlightening. You're never too old to learn, and moreover, you owe it to your membership to gain that knowledge and educational standard.” Cathy Shirey from IUE-CWA Local 84901 also shared her thoughts, saying, "I appreciated all the information about how workers have been taken advantage of over the years and how we have the power to fight back!”

IUE-CWA will be hosting more workshops this year and plans to expand this training to individual locals as well.

 
IUE-CWA hosted Reversing Runaway Inequality training for 70 newly elected union officers.

CWA members and retirees met with Maryland Governor Wes Moore last week to raise concerns about the state's proposed labor standards for broadband projects funded by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The group also stressed the need for oversight for federally funded broadband projects that are already underway. Pictured left to right: Marcus Chambers (Maryland State Broadband Lead and member of CWA Local 2018), Lisa Fazzini (CWA Staff Representative), Maryland Governor Wes Moore, LaTasha Carpenter (Vice President CWA Local 2108), Dyana Forester (Senior Director of Labor Relations for the Moore-Miller Administration), Shannon Opfer (President CWA Local 2107), and Jenny Sylvester (CWA District 2-13 Retiree President).

Last week, members of the United Campus Workers (UCW-CWA) engaged with legislators and government officials on ways to raise standards for higher education workers.

In South Carolina, members of UCW-CWA Local 3765 met with Acting United States Secretary of Labor Julie Su for a roundtable discussion on labor conditions in higher education. Bobbie Keitt, an Administrative Assistant at the University of South Carolina and UCW-CWA member, spoke with Secretary Su about the need for fair pay for campus workers and the importance of solidarity. Su expressed support for UCW-CWA’s mission and encouraged campus workers to continue organizing.

On January 30, members of the United Campus Workers of Georgia (UCW-CWA Local 3265) participated in Lobby Day at the Georgia state capitol. Members spoke directly with state legislators and also held a press conference to highlight their priorities. UCWGA-CWA members specifically emphasized pushing back against cuts to higher education funding, securing collective bargaining rights, and protecting academic freedom.

 
UCW-CWA of Georgia members discussed their priorities with legislators (above) and held a press conference (below) during their Lobby Day at the Georgia State Capitol. 

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Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su (top row, center) met with UCW-CWA of South Carolina members to discuss labor conditions in higher education.

Black History Month is not only a time to remember our shared American history but also to honor those making history today. This week the AFL-CIO featured CWA Local 7019 Area Vice President Vonda Wilkins in their Black History Month Profile series. We congratulate Vonda on her hard work and outstanding contributions to the labor movement.

Vonda has been working for Lumen Technologies for over 24 years and is a proud union member and labor activist at CWA Local 7019 in Phoenix, Ariz. Vonda started as a shop steward and has risen to Area Vice President.

Vonda's dedication and efforts to build an anti-racist union are genuinely inspiring. After completing the Minority Leader Institute (MLI) at CWA, she was appointed as a sitting member of CWA’s National Committee on Civil Rights and Equity. She has successfully facilitated training for more than 100 members across CWA on how to build an anti-racist union.

Vonda collaborated with District 7 members to demand that Lumen acknowledge Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and designate it as a paid holiday for all employees. This demand was met without any concessions from CWA, and for the first time, in January 2023, all employees could observe Dr. King's day as a paid holiday.

Vonda's commitment to her community is evident from her involvement in various committees at her local, including elections, by-laws, community services, finance, and human rights committees. She is a member of the Minority Caucus at CWA, the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), and Unemployed Workers United. Vonda's story is a testament to the power of activism and dedication to social justice.

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