May 30, 2024 - CWA, Teamsters, and SEIU Join Forces for Public Workers and other news

CWA Telecommunications and Technologies (T&T) sector members in North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama have been brushing up on their mobilization skills, thanks, in part, to help from the T&T National Mobilization Committee (NMC). Brightspeed, purchased by Apollo Private Equity Funds in 2021, provides internet access for millions of homes and businesses across the Southeastern and Midwestern U.S.

While members under the Alabama contract, covering CWA Locals 3972 and 3974, currently have a contract extension, the Virginia contract covering CWA Local 2204 expires on June 1, and the North Carolina contract covering CWA Locals 3680, 3681, 3682, and 3685 is set to expire on June 7.

Members are fighting for pay increases to keep up with inflation, adequate staffing, and reasonable commutes to worksites. Currently, due to understaffing, workers are forced to travel long distances, with some Virginia workers commuting hours into North Carolina. These workers are working side-by-side with their North Carolina union siblings but receiving considerably less pay.

CWA Local 2204 President Chuck Simpson invited the expert trainers from T&T’s NMC to help with mobilization. The training is designed to give members the tools and skills necessary to win better contracts. It includes both tactical and strategic assessments, improving infrastructure for fast mobilization, and building a regional and national network among Locals to share critical information on common bargaining fights.

When asked about the benefits of bringing NMC trainers to his Local, Simpson responded, “I’ve been an officer here for 22 years and Local President for 15 of those years. It’s beneficial to take existing members who’ve been here a while and newer members who are just coming on board and bring them together, under one roof, so they understand exactly where we’re going, especially when we’re going into contract negotiations.”

CWA members in North Carolina should be on the lookout for an ad campaign launched this week by workers hoping to raise awareness of the bargaining underway with Brightspeed. The campaign will include television, print, and social media posts and use the hashtag #CWAFairContract. Members are encouraged to repost and use the hashtag to show their support.

 
Members across North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama are gearing up for contract negotiations with mutual employer Brightspeed. CWA Local 2204 members participated in national mobilization training, which is helping them mobilize their members and coordinate with other locals in the fight.

Last week, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) welcomed approximately 700 labor activists and leaders to Houston, Texas, for the CBTU 53rd Annual Convention. The event, themed “Never Back, Always Forward: Hate Cannot Erase Us,” drew attendees from across North America and Africa.

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. delivered remarks at the opening session, speaking on the need for continued organizing in the South and for Black union members to focus on the political fight ahead. Said Cummings, “They want to drive all of us, Black, brown, old, young, straight, and LGBTQ—all of us—back, not just fifty years but a hundred and fifty years. This isn’t the time to give up. Just the opposite. We need to fight even harder for our values, for labor and civil rights, for economic and social justice.”

Convention participants also attended workshops ranging from Unionism 101 to Examining Discrimination in the Workplace.

CWA’s Human Rights Committee members escorted President Cummings to the stage for his opening remarks, attended the Women’s Committee voting workshop, and visited the KYOK radio station. They also recorded a live “Hour of Power” radio show episode at the convention, which you can listen to by clicking here.

 
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. (center) delivered remarks at the opening session of the 53rd Annual Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Convention. Members of the Human Rights Committee also recorded a live “Hour of Power” radio show episode from the convention.

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CWA Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos (center) joined members of the Human Rights Committee at this year's 53rd Annual Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Convention in Houston, Texas.

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CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. (center) was honored by (left to right) Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Representative Al Green (D-Texas), Texas Representative Ron Reynolds, and Coalition of Black Trade Unionists President Terry L. Melvin at this year’s 53rd Annual CBTU Convention.

Fifty union members from CWA, Teamsters, and SEIU filled the Denver City Council chambers last week to support an initiative to place collective bargaining rights for city workers on the ballot this fall. CWA Local 7777 Secretary-Treasurer Sandra Parker Murray testified to the council, saying, "I was shocked when I learned that Denver municipal employees didn’t already have collective bargaining. Thank you for your support now in bringing forward this important workers’ rights initiative and standing up for the working people who make our city run."

According to a letter the coalition sent to the Denver Mayor and City Council, “Fire, police, and sheriff deputies in Denver already have collective bargaining. In fact, more than three-quarters of private sector workers and more than two-thirds of public sector workers have bargaining rights across the country, yet workers in the City and County of Denver do not.”

The coalition now has 90 days to collect 63,491 signatures to ensure the question goes before the public for a vote. They have launched an aggressive campaign to secure the necessary signatures. The coalition is also pursuing an alternate path to victory—an amendment to the city charter through the City Council.

 
A coalition of labor activists from CWA, the Teamsters, and SEIU are pursuing public bargaining rights for Denver public sector workers.

Last week, members of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) met in Atlanta, Ga., for their 51st Annual Board of Directors Convention. The in-person meeting brought together Master Executive Council (MEC) Officers from each of the 20 AFA-represented airlines, Local Executive Council (LEC) Presidents, International Officers, members, and guests.

Participants heard from CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board Jennifer Homendy, Federal Aviation Administration Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain.

Attendees rallied in downtown Atlanta to demand fair pay, improved benefits, and fair contracts across the industry. Flight Attendants called out Delta Airlines’ unfair tier system that undervalues Flight Attendants at its subsidiary Endeavor Air. The rally included Flight Attendants from Delta and SkyWest currently organizing to join the AFA-CWA.

Click here to watch footage from the rally.

 
AFA-CWA Flight Attendants gathered for their 51st Annual Board of Directors Meeting and rallied in downtown Atlanta to show solidarity and call for fair contracts.

Earlier this month, members of the Union of Professional and Technical Employees-CWA (UPTE-CWA Local 9119) put the finishing touches on a deal with the University of California Los Angeles Healthcare Center (UCLA) that includes a five percent equity increase for all plus additional compensation for night and weekend shifts, a critical issue since low pay is a primary cause of insufficient staffing and high turnover. UPTE-CWA-represented staff at UCLA include social workers, case managers, and healthcare workers.

UPTE-CWA members demonstrated their unity by signing a petition outlining their stances, hosting numerous membership meetings, and maintaining consistent communication with members over the two years of negotiations. This win comes ahead of full contract negotiations, which will begin later this year.

Jeanna Harris, a UPTE-CWA unit representative and case manager at the UCLA Medical Center, commented, “This victory is a testament to what we can achieve when we stand together, united by our commitment to fairness and equity.”

You can read more about the campaign in the UPTE-CWA Local 9119 news release.

Last week, NewsGuild-CWA members employed by the union headquarters for United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International walked out on strike for the first time in the unit’s history.

The UFCW Guild (NewsGuild-CWA Local 32035) are dedicated union staffers fighting for the rights of workers in meatpacking plants and grocery stores across the country. But now, they are fighting for their own right to a fair union contract.

The UFCW Guild members have built solidarity throughout their unit through lunch-outs and other actions, enabling the workers to speak with one voice last week when the unit voted unanimously to reject management’s “final” contract proposal. Faced with wage proposals that failed to keep up with inflation and inadequate telework options, which contribute to staff turnover, the Guild members waged a one-day strike.

“We’re glad to return to the critical work we do for UFCW members, but if we can’t reach a deal that gives us fair wages, access to sick leave, and a modern telework policy, we’ll be back,” said Tabitha Niemann, unit secretary.

After 12 hours on the picket line, UFCW Guild members took their renewed strength and solidarity back to the bargaining table to press for a fair contract that enables them to serve UFCW union members.

 
NewsGuild-CWA Local 32035 members picket outside UFCW headquarters in Washington, D.C.

CWA Local 1037 members, who provide in-home family child care services in Passaic County, N.J., flexed their collective muscle earlier this month with a picket outside of 4Cs, a Child Care Resource and Referral Agency responsible for administering the county’s Family Child Care Registration Program.

The members, who provide in-home care for children, delivered a petition signed by nearly 100 family child care providers to 4Cs, detailing the unfair treatment and lack of respect. They are demanding that management address these issues, which, they contend, impact their ability to provide consistent and stable services to families across their community.

Though this fight has been going on for months, management continues to ignore the issues. The child care providers remain steadfast in their drive for equality and dignity and are determined to continue until their voices are heard and the issues are resolved.

 
CWA Local 1037 child care workers picketed outside 4Cs, a Child Care Resource and Referral Agency, then delivered a petition demanding an end to unfair treatment.

The Roundup

Over the last month, workers also joined CWA at:

• New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University (GSEU-CWA Local 1104)
• Marketwatch (N.Y. Office) (IAPE/TNG CWA Local 1096)
• Brockton Community Access (NABET-CWA Local 51018)
• The Master Control Hub—Nexstar (NABET-CWA Local 57052)
• SNAP Studios, LLC (NABET-CWA Local 59051)
• Capital Public Radio (NABET-CWA Local 59051)